Gillie Davidson, SLA Chairperson

We are delighted to report that the Chairperson of SLA, Mrs Gillie Davidson, was awarded an MBE “for services to children in the UK and India” in the Queen's 80th birthday honours list. An appreciation of Gillie by her fellow SLA trustees is written below.

How do we sum up in a few words Gillie what you mean to us and our feelings about your appearance in the Queen’s 80th birthday Honours list? One way might be to quote your own emails telling the rest of us that we are Fantastic!!!!! Amazing!!!!! Wonderful!!!!! – with of course generous helpings of exclamation marks!

Gillie – you are to all who know you energy, action and enthusiasm. You have the rare gift of making these qualities contagious. The young folk of QII might not be altogether happy with the way they are designated “children” in the MBE citation, but all of them – and their parents – would agree that you were an important part of their growing up, and are still part of their lives. With you, we dreamt dreams, we explored our feelings and beliefs, we took on things we didn’t think we were capable of, some of the places we went to were places we never expected to see – Hungary just after the fall of Communism, the “wrong side of the tracks” among the poor (white and black) of Southern Carolina, and supremely and lastingly, a town in Andhra Pradesh we had never heard of, where we became part of the lives of children rescued from destitution, and they became part of ours. With you, Gillie, we all learned, like your beloved Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, to fly.

Even more, you are caring and loving. As a nurse, latterly a Hospice nurse, you have spent your life tending to the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of others. Caring is part of your nature, and all of us, young and old, who are lucky enough to be your friends have benefited from, and yes, taken advantage of that. Thank you, dear Amma Gillie, for caring for all of us.

Q11 and SLA bring much joy to you and to us, but we know that joy has its cost in worry and sometimes anguish and exhaustion. We are deeply grateful to Ralph, to Donald John, Elaine, Emma and their families for their support for you, and for so unselfishly sharing you with us. With you, dear Gillie, Love is spontaneous and immediate, but that doesn’t make it easy. For showing us, in QII and SLA, what Love in Action means, thank you!!!!!!