To mark International Women’s Day, we celebrate some of the inspirational women across Lancashire and the Lake District. Some are better known, some are just starting out, but all have made a contribution to life here that deserves greater recognition
Jen Blackwell, Dance Syndrome
Jen always wanted to be a dancer but her Downs Syndrome meant it was difficult to find someone to train her. Undeterred, Jen realised there must be others like her, so she founded Dance Syndrome in 2009, which has since won The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. The Accrington-based group performs and provides community workshops, co-led by a learning-disabled dance leader and a supporting dance artist. Jen also runs training courses opening dance leadership opportunities for people with learning disabilities. Her achievements have seen her appear in the Power 100 List of Influential People with a Disability.
Salli Penni, lawyer and writer
Salli believes that one should be a role model. She is a good example: a high-profile award-winning barrister, author and speaker; she sits on the board of organisations, such as The Royal Exchange and fundraises for numerous charities including The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. She also founded FMD, a community network, aiming to end isolation in the community, as well as founding Women in the Law UK. Championing diversity in the workplace is important to Salli, even speaking at the House of Lords about it. She was awarded an MBE for her services to diversity in the workplace, social mobility and the law.
Helen Stalker, Lakeland Arts
Helen has recently been appointed as senior producer for Lakeland Arts, responsible for exhibitions and collections across all venues. This is a high-status role within the arts world but Helen has an impressive CV. She has successfully worked at V&A Theatre Museum, Tate Liverpool and The Whitworth in Manchester; as well as founding The Turnpike, a gallery and arts venue in Leigh which developed a big national reputation. Helen believes art can make connections between people and in her new role she’ll be responsible for collections and programming at Windermere Jetty Museum, Blackwell – the Arts & Crafts house and Abbot Hall in Kendal which is due to re-open this summer.
Professor Barbara Maher, Lancaster University
An Emeritus Professor at Lancaster University, Barbara is a recognised leader in her field of science. She researches the magnetic properties of particles to increase our understanding of a range of processes, from climate change to how air pollution affects health. Her research has discovered that nanoparticles of air pollution from sources like vehicles and open fires can get into the heart and brain and could be linked to conditions like Alzheimer’s. Her work also informs trials to reduce air pollution in schools by planting, ‘tredges’ – hedges of small trees.
Kelly-Ann Groves. IT
Kelly-Ann founded Accrington based technology company, Sundown, with her husband in 2009. Her aim was to make technology simple for her clients, removing jargon and finding uncomplicated solutions. The business now has a second office in Texas and prestigious clients are spread across the UK and the US in fields that include health and finance. Kelly-Ann saved the NHS money by developing technology that helped patients avoid unnecessary overnight hospital stays. Sundown have been awarded the rare accolade of a quadruple Microsoft Gold partner.
Lucy Danger, FareShare
Lucy is CEO of Emerge, a social enterprise to relieve poverty through food, work and recycling. It runs FareShare Greater Manchester, a part of the food redistribution network and it’s her inspiring leadership which is behind its success. During Covid, more than 60 volunteers joined the team, providing three million meals. Celebrity visitors, such as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Marcus Rashford have ensured that FareShare has gained a high profile. Lucy isn’t slowing down and is now fundraising for a new warehouse that will enable Fareshare Greater Manchester to provide many more meals.
Amanda Greenwood, Lancashire Women
Amanda is chief executive officer of Lancashire Women, the organisation that 8000 women turn to annually. It aims to empower women: dealing with domestic abuse, money advice, wellbeing and more. Amanda oversees four venues throughout Lancashire, as well as ensuring that support, including outreach support, is provided. Amanda has huge experience, beginning her career as a community worker before moving into regional and national management roles. She is passionate about allowing women to have control over their lives.
Lubaina Himid, artist
In 2017, Lubaina Himid won the prestigious Turner Prize, creating history by being the oldest winner- 63 at the time – and the first black winner. The judges were impressed by the vitality of her work over the decades and impressed by themes in her work, which addresses colonialism, making black and Asian women visible. Lubaina, whose work appears in galleries and exhibitions around the world, is also Professor of Contemporary Art at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston. She was awarded the CBE in 2019 and the same year, was elected as a Royal Academician.
Denise Barrett-Baxendale, Everton FC
Director and Chief Executive Officer at Everton and Executive Chair of Everton in the Community –the club’s official charity – Denise is one of the most respected women in sport. With a background in higher education, she came to Everton in 2010 to lead a transformation strategy for Everton in the Community. She steered it to almost 100 awards and international recognition and, in 2018, she was made CEO of Everton. She was awarded an MBE in 2014, an Outstanding Achievement Award the following year and, in 2016, invited to become an Honorary Visiting Professorship at Liverpool Hope. Denise is also a Local Authority Ambassador for Looked After Children and Patron of St Vincent’s School for the Blind.
Sarah Dunning, Tebay Services
Sarah is chair of Westmoreland Family, which owns and runs several businesses including Tebay Services; the iconic motorway service which concentrates on local food, including food from their own farm. Formed in 1972, Sarah, part of the second generation, took it over in 2005. In 2015, she was awarded the OBE for services to the food, drink and hospitality sector and the same year, was a winner of Business in the Community’s Rural Action Award. Sarah has two endowed funds with the Cumbria Community Foundation, which allows local people to access funding for community projects.
Saira Hussain, architectural designer
Saira is one of the UKs most successful and influential women working in architecture. She established Hussain Architectural Design in Burnley in 2011 when she was 23 and, despite being told that construction is no place for a woman, Saira has built an internationally award-winning business. Sustainability is a cornerstone for Saira with local projects including Spinningfields and Media City. She plays an active role in The Federation of Small Businesses and has attended EU summits and parliament. Determined to inspire women and members of the BAME community to join the profession, she gives talks in schools and colleges.
Diane Hannah, The Herdy Company
A 2005 trip to Helsinki with her husband, Spencer, inspired designer Diane to bring some Scandinavian design to The Lakes. They launched The Herdy Company in 2007, with three products all bearing the face of Lakeland’s iconic Herdwick sheep. Success blossomed, more products were added and now they have four stores in the Lake District, supply over 350 UK outlets and trade as far away as Japan and America. Giving back is important to them: their Herdy Fund sponsors projects, works with rural community initiatives and upland fell farmers who care for Herdwicks. They created the Herdwick Quality Mark Branding, managed by the Herdwick Sheep Breeders’ Association, to support the meat’s protected designation.
DCI Allison Woods, Merseyside Police
Last year, Allison was awarded the Special Recognition Award at the British Association for Women in Policing Awards. In a wide-ranging career, she was the first female authorised armed surveillance officer and the first female firearms tactical advisor. She has regularly given her own time to mentoring female police officers. Today, she is very involved in the national mentoring scheme, ‘Girls Network’, inspiring young women from disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve their full potential. Allison was also the youngest person to captain the GB Handball Team, winning bronze medals at two Commonwealth Games.
Briony Gorton, fashion designer
In 2016, aged 21, Burnley based Briony established Talliah Rose, a fashion and homeware website. Briony was studying Fashion Buying and Merchandising at Manchester Met, when she decided to try launching her own enterprise with just £100. She began in her mum’s kitchen, getting a local seamstress to make her designs. The first was a Swarovski-studded bikini which she modelled on her own Instagram page. Today, many designs later, Briony has a successful business that counts celebrities among its fans and reputedly turned her £100 investment into £100,000 within a few months and made her first million two years later.
Jenny Rutter, Creative Lancashire
Creative Lancashire exists to raise the profile of Lancashire’s creative talent and to harness the economic potential of organisations within the sector. She has over two decades experience in supporting and developing this sector, producing many arts programmes including major festivals and events. Jenny also manages Super Slow Way, a cultural development programme that covers 20 miles of the Leeds/Liverpool canal and she co-delivered the first British Textile Biennial. She is a founding member of Lancashire 2025 City of Culture bid company and is now a Clore Cultural Leadership Fellow.
Victoria Anderson, Booths
Booths has won many awards for its wines, including Best Supermarket in the People’s Choice Wine Awards 2021. The woman behind this success is wine buyer Victoria Anderson who, following her Spanish degree, worked for a top London fine wine merchant. On joining Booths, she overhauled the chain’s own brand of wines, found new world class producers and even redesigned labels. Victoria oversees all aspects: meeting global producers, price negotiation and providing recommendations. She also curated a wine list for the Lytham store’s new Gallery Wine Bar, cementing her reputation as Lancashire’s wine Tsarina.
Lauren Higgins and Sasha Phillips, Northern Girls Club
Lauren and Sasha are cousins who grew up in Burnley, went to university before returning to teach English. They noticed that women and girls from the surrounding area were often under-represented as examples of successful women. On top of that, social media, displaying impossibly perfect lives, could make young women feel they just weren’t matching up. So, despite Lauren just having had a second baby, they established Northern Girls Club, a network which is redressing the balance by supporting live events, team goal programmes and a talent directory. Their Instagram page is full of local, successful, attainable women and a podcast will be starting soon.
Amanda Parker, eco-champion Browsholme Hall
Browsholme Hall is the first winner of the Historic Houses Sustainability Award. Amanda and her family are constantly looking to reduce emissions and to grow and plant for the future. Examples include replacing part of the stone roof to allow for insulation and to protect nesting bats and, as underfloor heating isn’t possible in the listed building, a woodchip boiler is fuelled by cropping Browsholme’s managed woodland. The gardens include a wilderness garden, with a ‘no-mow’ area and the café has a Five-Mile menu, ensuring that ingredients are sourced within that radius.
Janett Walker, activist
Anti-Racism Cumbria was co-founded by CEO, Janett Walker in 2020 in order to make Cumbria the UK’s first actively anti-racist county. Janett, who has lived in Cumbria for 13 years, was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and because, as a lawyer, she too had personally experienced racism. She aims to achieve the organisation’s objectives through education, discussion and action, arranging events throughout Cumbria and she regularly promotes it in the media. Anti-Racism Cumbria has quickly become a strong voice and is supported by bodies such as the University of Cumbria and Brewery Arts.
Camilla Ainsworth, M+lk Plus
Blackburn-based Camilla was the youngest ever finalist on The Apprentice, 2018 and was then invited to work with Claude Littner, developing his business school. She now owns M+lk Plus, a plant based dairy free milk with no added sugar which she developed after discovering that she has an intolerance to dairy. It sold over 130,000 bottles in its first year. In 2020, Camilla was listed in the ‘Top Ten Women to Watch’ and in the ‘Top Ten Female Entrepreneurs’ in Business Insider. She also offers consultancy services sharing her expertise in business.
Maggie O’Carroll, the Women’s Organisation
Maggie co- founded the Liverpool based Women’s Organisation in 1996 and her work has earned her accolades including ‘Entrepreneur Champion of the Year’ and ‘Social Leader of the Year.’ She has also been appointed as Visiting Professor at the University of Strathclyde. The aim of the Women’s Organisation is to support and inspire women to fulfil their potential and, so far, 60,000 women have been helped and more than 4000 businesses created. They do this by offering a wide range of help in order to build both women’s personal confidence and to help with growing their businesses and fulfilling their potential.
Zee Jogi, Z’s Defence Academy
Zee’s female-only academy is a registered charity, powered by her belief that every girl and woman should learn self-defence fundamentals. Her work attracted UCLan, who collaborated with her in order to assess the physical and mental health benefits her work provides. The university also provided support when Zee undertook her successful two-time Guinness World Record breaking climb to Mount Kilimanjaro, taking on the world’s highest obstacle course and highest fitness session. Zee provides weekly fitness sessions, including 1-1, as well as courses of mobile sessions in community halls, charities and workplaces. Many volunteers have been inspired by Zee to join her.
