Every Monday we profile one of our Members. This week in we are joined by Proprietor 360, Membership Secretary Maria Checkland!
Who are you?
Maria Checkland, Café owner, Fragrance Consultant, and Equalities Advisor. I joined the Athenaeum in 2011.
What is your greatest achievement?
I don’t really think of achievements too much, I’m too busy getting things done, but I was both shocked and proud when I won a Merseyside Woman of the Year award in 2016 for the work I’d done in marginalised communities across the region.
Can you give one interesting fact about yourself?
One of my hobbies is trapeze, and I’ve choreographed and performed in three cabaret shows.
What brought you to The Athenaeum?
It’s more ‘who’ brought me. I was working on a drama project about Kitty Wilkinson, and Michael Kelly, a local author, and also a proprietor, who was advising on it, brought me in for lunch. I saw the library and was hooked.
Is there anything you would like to change about the Athenaeum?
Yes, I’d like to raise the profile of it within the city region. All too often, especially when I’m helping at heritage open days, it becomes apparent that so many people know so little about it, and as someone who loves the club and is proud of it’s history I think this is such a shame. Fortunately, as the chair of the membership and recruitment sub-committee, I’m in a fortunate position where I can try to do this.
Do you have any Athenaeum memories or stories that you would wish to share?
When Judge David Swift was the President, he asked me if I’d do the response from the lassies at the Burns Night dinner. I agreed and didn’t think too much about it until the night before, when I thought it best to do a bit of reading and make a few notes. The wonderful Vin Roper helped me put it into a coherent speech, and it went down a storm. I was then invited onto the main committee by David, where I’m currently in my sixth and final year. He then asked me to chair the membership committee where I am today. He’s one of the many interesting characters I’ve met since joining. His bravery at asking one of the less conventional members, as I was then, to be involved in the club, meant a lot, and he was probably the closest thing to a mentor I’ve had.
What would you say to anyone considering joining the Club?
Come and chat to one of us, have a look around, and I’m pretty certain you’ll fall in love with the magic of the place.
If you are interested in membership, you can find more information at www.theathenaeum.org.uk/membership , or by emailing secretary@theathenaeum.org.uk