Inspirational Woman of the Year!

We are absolutely thrilled to share the wonderful news that our long-serving trustee and much-loved volunteer, Janet Henley, has been awarded Inspirational Woman of the Year by Soroptimist International Canterbury.

This well-deserved accolade recognises Janet’s decades-long commitment to supporting survivors of domestic abuse and helping to rebuild shattered lives. Janet’s compassion, tireless energy, and fierce determination have made an immeasurable impact on the lives of the women and children we work with, and on all of us here at Rising Sun.

Janet first became involved with Rising Sun in 1996, when she was asked to help with bookkeeping and payroll. On witnessing the vital work being done in our refuge, she refused payment and has volunteered her time ever since. For nearly 30 years, as our team has grown from just five staff to over 50, Janet has continued to manage our payroll, entirely voluntarily. But her contributions go far beyond finance.

For more than 20 years, Janet has served as a trustee, steering Rising Sun through many tumultuous times and keeping us on track towards our vision and mission. As Treasurer, she brings both rigour and reassurance and is always ready to lend her insight and care, whether that’s advising our CEO, or supporting individual team members with queries about tax or pensions. She is always there when we need her to provide advice, guidance and motivation.

She makes every team member feel valued and supported. Each Christmas, she personally organises cards and gifts for the whole team, a gesture that perfectly reflects her generosity and attention to others. During the Covid-19 lockdowns, Janet made sure every staff member received a thoughtful gift to show that the trustees were thinking of them and grateful for their crucial work in awful circumstances; individual tea towels with feminist quotes on them to lift our spirits!

In 2019, Janet played a vital role in our merger with Cantercare, which saw Rising Sun take on responsibility for a six bed property and some major renovations. This enabled us to continue Cantercare’s legacy of supporting 16-24 year old young women who are pregnant or with a young baby and facing homelessness. And in the background, she is always advocating for Rising Sun, securing donations from her many other community activities, bringing friends to our events, and never missing a chance to passionately champion our cause, always with her positivity and enthusiasm.

We are so proud of Janet and so grateful to her. The impact she has made over the years cannot be overstated. Tens of thousands of women and children have been supported because of Janet’s unwavering dedication.

Congratulations, Janet — you are truly an inspiration. We can’t think of anyone more deserving of this recognition.

Photo L-R: Janet Henley, Rising Sun Trustee Marian Duggan, Mary Adams, president of Soroptimist International Canterbury