Jewish Care has honoured the UK’s ambassador to Ukraine, Dame Melinda Simmons, at its Women of Distinction lunch held at St John’s Wood Synagogue on Tuesday. The ambassador’s

parents and sister were among 180 guests, and her mother, Sylvia, accepted the award on her behalf. In a video message, Dame Melinda expressed her appreciation for the recognition and spoke of her pride in working alongside Ukrainians defending their country and caring for their people. “It’s been a huge learning experience but it’s also been a time of inspiration for me and the other women I’m working with,” she said.

Baroness Beeban Kidron was also honoured at the lunch, for her advocacy of children’s rights in the digital world, as was Doreen Gainsford, who helped set up the Women’s Campaign for Soviet Jewry in the 1960s. The lunch raised £73,000 for Jewish Care’s Sidney Corob House, which offers long-term care for individuals with severe mental health needs. Residents Michelle Kotler and Karen Waxman attended the lunch, and Waxman’s son Benjy made an emotional appeal. “Being at Jewish Care has energised mum to re-engage with her own life and to push her outside of her comfort zone,” he said. Photo by UK Government, Wikimedia commons.