‘Wonderful’ Cumbrian Women in Business Lunch Celebrates International Women’s Day Highlighting Regional Success Stories and Empowerment
The second annual Cumbrian Women in Business Lunch held at Borderway in Carlisle on Thursday 7th March has underlined the huge and growing value that women are bringing to the economy and culture of the North West region.
Over 60 ladies joined representatives from the H&H Group at the Auctioneer Suite at Borderway to celebrate International Women’s Day and to recognise the women leading the way in business and industry in Cumbria. The two guest speakers, award-winning ‘Forty Farms’ photographer and author, Amy Bateman, and businesswomen and organisational coach, Laura Cadman, gave compelling presentations on their career paths within their professional sectors.
The occasion was hosted by H&H Group Personnel Manager and Company Secretary, Margaret Irving. “The response to our inaugural lunch last year was so positive, we realised how important it was to provide a focus for encouraging women to make their mark and to forge ahead in business, and this year’s lunch exceeded our expectations.
“Amy and Laura are both outstanding examples of the success women can achieve in their own fields of business and industry, and the message they shared about their work/life journeys, the challenges they had overcome and the opportunities that they had created for themselves were incredibly inspiring.
“Even in this day and age of supposed equality, starting or running a business is still a daunting prospect for women, and we’re delighted that our Cumbrian Women in Business lunch has clearly created a platform and a hub for networking and sharing ideas, experiences and plans for the future.
“This year we’ve seen some remarkable firsts for women in a largely male-dominated world, including the first woman to referee a Premiership match, so everything is clearly possible! Our wonderful speakers gave our guests many gems of practical encouragement, and we are thrilled to have received so many messages of thanks from guests who found the event enjoyable and useful.
Nothing encapsulates the success of the lunch better than this message from one the guests Claire Brough of Dodd & Co:
“ Thank you to H&H for such a wonderful lunch today. It was a real treat and both Amy and Laura were truly inspirational speakers. I walked away from the day with a spring in my step after hearing such candid stories of what it is to be a woman, the realities of what we all face and how others deal with such realities. It was fantastic to network with such a wonderful group of ladies.”