Cumbria Chamber of Commerce’s annual International Women’s Day event returns this year on Friday March 7 with a programme designed to inspire, connect and uplift women in business across Cumbria.
The event promises a packed agenda of informative sessions, thought-provoking discussions and networking opportunities including:
Keynote speaker: Kelly Cornwell
Kelly was the recipient of the Jim Cox Prize, a special award for the most inspirational student, when she graduated from the University of Cumbria in November 2023.
Selected by academics within our Institute of Health, Kelly was chosen after she completed her degree while facing a year like no other.
Her husband Kevin, a humanitarian aid worker, was taken captive by the Taliban in January 2023 whilst working in Afghanistan.
Two weeks later, Kelly had to undergo emergency surgery, spending five weeks at home in Lancashire recovering from her operation.
Once well enough, Kelly began clawing back the 170 placement hours she had missed in addition to the 500 hours of a final professional placement she had to do to complete her degree.
Kevin was released on October 10 2023, and just weeks after his return to the UK, he was able to see Kelly graduate at Carlisle Cathedral.
Kelly’s talk will cover her inspiring story with reflections on overcoming adversity and resilience.
Workshops
Attendees will also enjoy three high-impact workshops on a range of topics relevant to women in business.
Macarena Vergara – Coach, Leader-Connect – Freeing Our Capacities to Lead
In this workshop, Macarena will explore the barriers women face in leadership roles and introduce neuroplasticity tools to unlock potential and purpose. Expect an interactive session tailored for female leaders and those looking to progress into leadership roles.
Lina Mookerjee – Director, Praxis PPD – Re-framing Menopause in the Workplace: From Challenge to Opportunity
This session will explore the impact of disparaging menopause myths, beliefs and stereotypes that undermine and challenge women and their abilities. Lina’s paradigm presents menopause as a healthy change process towards enabling empowerment, growth and wisdom integration.
Caroline Rayner – Partner, Knights – Respect in the Workplace
Caroline will provide an overview of respect in the workplace, looking at the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion, bullying and harassment and the new legal duty on employers to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, how employers can protect themselves in this context, together with an overview of disability discrimination, with an emphasis on the importance neurodiversity awareness and promoting a neuroinclusive workplace.
Meet our panellists
The day will also feature a panel discussion with some of Cumbria’s business leaders where you can ask your questions.
- Julie Clayton, Chief Executive Officer, Eden Valley Hospice
- Sue Howorth, Co-Director, The Family Business Community
- Gina Pennington, Owner and Director, Penningtons Tea & Coffee Ltd
- Mark Ebdon, Factory General Manager, Pladis
- Julie Mennell, Vice-Chancellor, University of Cumbria
The panel will share their insights, strategies, and experiences to empower women in business.
Don’t miss out!
This is set to be one of the most inspiring events in the business calendar.
For more information and to book your tickets, visit: https://my.cumbriachamber.co.uk/calendar_detail.html?eid=051FB782-768C-4883-BF3E-4D1A2E2E65A7
