Ladies First…

Remember when Michelle Obama visited England and hosted an event...we were only too pleased to supply some of the furniture.

All The President’s Women

The inspiring First Lady visited a school in London as part of her Let Girls Learn initiative, where she gave a heartfelt speech regarding the power of education. We were delighted that 400 of our black plastic chairs and 35 of our black stretch barriers were installed at the location to provide seating and security for pupils. The initiative aims to breakdown barriers that prevent up to 62 million girls around the world from accessing education. For this tour to the UK, Michelle Obama was fittingly accompanied by her two teenage daughters and her mum.

A Personal Message For A Global Cause

Although the goals of the programme have a global reach, Michelle Obama indicated how it's important for all girls to benefit from a good education, explaining that working hard at school is the “ultimate key to success” and can help young women fulfil their dreams. Pupils at the all-girl school welcomed the First Lady with flowers as well as a poetry reading and dance performance. We’re very happy to have helped out with Michelle Obama’s visit and got a real insight into how First Ladies can promote important issues and inspire communities. To celebrate all this great work we’ve put together a list of facts about women who fulfil this role…

1. Behind every great man…

It seems that feminism isn't a new consideration for First Ladies, because back in the 1700s Abigail Adams - wife to John Adams - encouraged him to “remember the ladies” when he was putting together the Declaration of Independence!

2. Talking politics

The role of President must be one of the hardest in the world with so much to consider on a daily basis. First Ladies have also taken their role very seriously when it comes to certain issues. Wife to Abraham Lincoln, Mary Lincoln, fought hard for the abolition of slavery in the 1800s. She also held seances in the White House.

3.  It’s not all work, work work!

As suggested above, First Ladies also know how to unwind a bit too, whether this is through trying to contact the ‘other side’ via seances or taking part in Easter Egg rolls. This latter tradition first took place at the White House in the 1800s also, thanks to Lucy Hayes who hosted the first event of its kind.

4. Motoring on

Lots of First Ladies also decided to shun some traditional ways of ‘behaving’ preferring to express themselves, and helping other women of the era do the same. In the 1900s Helen “Nellie” Taft was the first president’s wife to drive her own car, support suffrage and highlight the need for safety protocols in workplaces.

5. Beyond the White House

We’d like to dedicate this last fact to Michelle Obama herself, which illustrates just how dedicated the current First Lady is to making a difference beyond the walls of the White House. In her role as Vice President Of Community and External Affairs at the University of Chicago Medical Centre, Mrs Obama has overseen a 500 per cent increase in volunteering at the hospital.

We hope the First Lady enjoyed her tour to the UK and hope she continues to have such a great impact! We look forward to any other furniture hire assistance we can offer!

Useful Resources:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33144636

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jun/16/michelle-obama-london-schoolgirls-education-first-lady

http://www.firstladies.org/facinatingfacts.aspx

http://www.glamour.com/inspired/blogs/the-conversation/2013/01/facts-about-the-first-ladies-y

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/michelle-obama/4317226/50-things-you-didnt-know-about-Michelle-Obama.html