Let’s Get To Know March 16, 2022

Let’s get to know – Estelle Rapelle, the BCT’s long-time treasurer.

Hi Estelle, welcome! So lovely to have you here.

Can you tell those new to the organisation where you are from and what brought you to Basel?

I’m Swiss-born😊, and I grew up in Canton Vaud.

I moved back to Switzerland with my husband after two years in Dubai. It was his first time living in the country. We stayed a few months in Lausanne when he was looking for a job, and we moved to Basel when a company here hired him.

We live in Binningen, a few minutes’ walk to the fields, the woods, a horse riding stable, and a farm in a beautiful pedestrian area. At the same time, so close to the Basel Zoo and downtown.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your family.

I am lucky enough to have an amazing husband and two beautiful kids. My daughter is four and a half years old, and my son is two and a half. Both children are full of energy; consequently, we enjoy outdoor activities like hiking and skiing.

I love the mountains in Switzerland. The breathtaking sceneries, the fresh air, and the endless trekking possibilities. I also enjoy sewing, playing the piano and doing pilates.

Is there anything you are looking forward to in 2022?

Yes. Family HOLIDAYS. 😃

I also want to move forward with my career change. Indeed, I am finalising the first step by getting my degree in nutrition and dietetics.

Additionally, I am eager to get back to “normal” life with the lifting of Covid measures.

That all sounds great. Good luck with your new career. And I feel the same way about the relaxation of restrictions.

About the BCT – How did you learn about it? And what prompted you to become involved?

I was new to Basel and was approaching the end of my first pregnancy when I discovered the BCT. I had met the amazing Susie Atkinson (a prenatal and postnatal educator and supporter of the BCT and families), and she mentioned the BCT a few times.

In spring 2017, when my daughter was a couple of months old, I joined the BCT’s Bumps and Babes Playgroup. I met lovely moms there and made my first friends in Basel.

My decision to volunteer came about when I found myself with some spare time. So, I knew I wanted to use it helpfully, and my thought process then was, “what could be better than volunteering for the association that helped me make friends in Basel?”

Is there anything you hope to achieve as the BCT’s Treasurer?

Yes, a few.

Firstly, I would like to enhance our accounting system to provide committee members with reliable and transparent reports to forecast the organisation’s future.

I want to make BCT’s key finance figures understandable to all members.