Celebrating Success and Community: A Year with Women Who, Worcestershire 2023
2023 has been another incredible year for Women Who, Worcestershire and our members, with the number of networking meetings increasing across the county and even more local business women joining our online networking groups.
Lets take a look back over the events that made this year special…..
January
New Beginnings at Droitwich:
Kicking off the year with a bang, we launched our Droitwich networking meeting at the fabulous St Andrews Hotel. Our brand representative, the amazing Rachel Davis, set the tone for what was to come—a year full of connection, support, and empowerment.
February
Cheers to 4 Years:
February saw us celebrating Women Who, Worcestershire’s 4th birthday! It was a delicious dinner with our brand representatives, sponsors, and connect hub members joining in the festivities. We couldn’t help but feel the love and support that has made this community what it is today.
March- Embracing Equity and International Women’s Day:
March was all about honouring International Women’s Day in style! We dedicated an entire week to meaningful discussions, blog posts, and podcast episodes exploring what it truly means to #EmbraceEquity as women. The culmination? A day of insightful talks at The Granary that showcased the diverse business offerings from our incredible members.
March (Again) – Welcome Kidderminster!
And it didn’t stop there! We expanded our reach by launching our Kidderminster networking meeting at Bistro Pierre, with the wonderful Kasia Ostler leading the charge.
April – Prioritising Well-being:
Enter April, the month where we put the spotlight on wellbeing support for our members. We rolled out our network well program, designed to uplift members in all aspects of life, not just in business. Picture this: an invigorating outdoor networking walk on Hartlebury Common, led by our brand representative Petra Bland.
May – Focus on Mental Health:
May was dedicated to mental health awareness, and we hosted two insightful webinars. “Strategise your stress” with Wendy Garrett and “Work Smarter not Harder” with Natasha McCann were absolute game-changers!
June – Breaking the Menopause Taboo:
Breaking barriers and shattering taboos, we delved into the topic of menopause with two enlightening webinars featuring VHK Women’s Health and Arscott Brookes Consultancy.
July – Family Fest at Sixways Stadium:
Summer brought a wave of fun as we took over Sixways Stadium for Family Fest 2023. Highlighting the triumphs of women’s sports in the city, this event brought together Worcester City Women’s Football Club and Warriors Women Rugby Club for a day filled with activities, games, local market treasures, and toe-tapping live music. It was a blast for everyone, sports enthusiasts and non-sports fans alike!
September – Business Development Day:
September was all about business growth and development for members and non-members alike. We hosted our second Business Development Day at The Granary, offering visitors a chance to explore diverse exhibitors specialising in HR to Photography to Marketing to SEO. They were able attend talks spanning various fields crucial for business growth and explore our Network Well Haven, a space dedicated to the wellness industry with a particular focus on women’s physical and mental wellbeing. Natwest Bank even held a Drop-In Clinic, sharing insights on funding opportunities for local businesses.
october & November
Welcoming Pershore:
Expanding our network further, we launched our Pershore networking meeting at The Angel Inn, led by the incredible Helen Yandell.
Monday Club for Growth:
November marked the launch of Monday Club, a collaborative event with the inspiring Wendy Garrett. These sessions provided a space for both the employed and self-employed to nurture their creativity and monitor their growth across business, life, and career goals.
Celebrating Achievements at the Women Who Christmas Do & Awards Night:
And finally, we wrapped up the year with a bang! The Women Who Christmas Do & Awards Night was the icing on the cake. It was a night of recognition and celebration where we honoured some of our incredible members:
Women Who Inspire
Winner: Petra Bland of Petra Bland Fitness
Highly Commended – Rebecca Widdowson of Hallmark Whatley Hulme, Commended – Cat Houghton of The Authentic Girls Club
Women Who Support
Winner: Rachel Davis of RT Social
Highly Commended – Natasha McCann of Admin Experts Online, Commended – Helen Yandell of Helen Yandell Photography
Women Who Educate
Winner: Petra Bland of Petra Bland Fitness (Yes, again! That’s how amazing she is!)
Highly Commended – Therese Hoyle of Therese Hoyle Consultancies Commended – Katie Beasley and Kitty Cazes of Arts & Wonder
Women Who Develop
Winner: Nicole Allison of Worcester City Women FC
Highly Commended – Patsy Holbrook of Key2Confidence, Commended – Helen Townsend of HT Counselling Services
Women Who Create
Winner: Kirstie Trobe of Kirstie Trobe Fine Art
Highly Commended – Margaret Powell of Margaret Powell Art, Commended – Dani Brushfield-Smith of Rogue Letters
Thank You to…
Our sponsors for 2023 Hallmark Whatley Hulme, Louise Squires Hypnotherapy and Anja Potze Fine Jewellery
Our brand representatives Natasha McCann, Helen Yandell, Kasia Ostler, Petra Bland and Rachel Davis
Our community partners Worcester City Women FC
Our awards night table sponsors EBM Photography, Talking Tortoise, Alvechurch Reiki, Garrett Learning, LKJS Bookkeeping, Meraki Promotions, RT Social, BBA Health, N-Able, Ear For You and Upsticks Glamping.
And to all of our members. You continue to inspire us every single day.
2024
As we head into 2024, we will continue to embrace our ethos of empowerment, support, and friendship. Here’s to more connections, growth, and memorable moments with Women Who, Worcestershire! Cheers to the journey ahead!
With love & gratitude,
Carrie & Lisa
Creating opportunities through networking, events and peer support for female business owners and company directors in Worcestershire.
Surround yourself with a positive, supportive and inspiring network.