Women Winning, launched for International Women’s Day in 2025 as a year-long project to celebrate Harrogate’s inspirational past and present women, has been so well-received it is continuing into 2026.
Founded by Paula Stott and Lynne Mee, two active Harrogate volunteers, Women Winning was launched last March by WWII veteran and centenarian Sheila Pantin. Sheila enthralled over 200 people in St Peter’s Church speaking for nearly two hours without notes.
Paula Stott said:
Women Winning has achieved a lot since then, including organising a number of other inspirational talks by or about incredible Harrogate women. We’ve also had theatre performances, working with Harrogate Film Society and the Friends of the Mercer we’ve had films about women or directed by women and we held the inaugural Harrogate Women Winning walking tour last year which is to become an annual event.
It is clear that there is still a lot of interest in Women Winning and that there remains many more stories waiting to be told, so the project will continue into a second year.
The next event will be held on 20 May entitled The Sky’s the Limit – a networking brunch led by women for women.
Lynne Mee explained:
During our research, we began to realise just how many women in this town have ‘broken through the glass ceiling’ to reach the top of their chosen fields, whether that be in the world of business or charity.
We know that most women are eager to help other women which is at the very core of the idea for The Sky’s the Limit, where women who have ‘made it’ can share their knowledge to inspire and help other women on their journey to the top.
Women Winning is inviting 12 of these incredible and highly regarded Harrogate females to take part in this social but informative event. These include Sarah Barry, CEO of Harrogate Town AFC, Jackie Snape, CEO of Disability Action Yorkshire, Sharon Canavar, CEO Harrogate International Festivals, Monique Purdy, Director and CEO in research and development for the energy business, Liz Cluderlay CEO of Artizan International, Tanya Stimpson, Director of Services Vision Support Harrogate District, Georgia Eckert founder and owner of Harrogate’s Independent Bookshop Imagined Things, Elaine Stevenson, CEO Harrogate and District Community Action, Lyndsay Snodgrass, Board Member Harrogate Improvement District and Marketing Manager Verity Frearson. The remaining names will be announced soon.
The Sky’s the Limit will be held between 11am and 2pm on Wednesday 20 May in the Yorkshire Hotel’s Sky Bar Restaurant. Tickets cost £25 to include a welcome drink, brunch with fresh fruit, yoghurt, pastries and a selection of sandwiches with lots of tea and coffee. Tickets are available from https://www.trybooking.com/uk/GBXO
