On International Women’s Day 2019, a group of influential women in Gloucester have launched the Glos100 mentoring scheme, to create opportunities and improve the lives of women in the city. Senior Editor for Reach plc in Gloucestershire, Rachael Sugden, explains.

This time last year, across the country, we were marking the 100th anniversary of suffrage.

At Reach plc, publishers of Gloucestershire Live and the Citizen and Echo newspapers,  we organised the West Women of the Year Awards, timed to coincide with International Women’s Day and to mark the centenary of some women gaining the right to vote in 1918.

We invited the public across Gloucestershire, Bristol, Bath and Somerset to vote for the 100 Most Influential Women in the West, in business, sport, entertainment, education and the charitable sector.

Glos 100 women and Dame Janet Trotter celebrating 100 great women in Gloucestershire

In Gloucestershire, we collated, together with esteemed guest judges, the ultimate list of Gloucestershire’s 50 Greatest Women . Those women who had been born, lived or worked in the county, now have their names recorded for posterity on a plaque at Cheltenham Racecourse.

These two events, along with countless others organised by amazing men and women across the country last year, rightly celebrated the milestone in the movement for women’s equality.

But of course, a lovely party and a commemorative plaque, do not make changes still needed.

In Gloucester , Government figures show life expectancy is worse than the national and county average. And social mobility is far lower than the national average, especially among younger people.

Glos 100 women and Dame Janet Trotter celebrating 100 great women in Gloucestershire

In Gloucester, 22.4 per cent of women aged 16 to 64 are economically inactive – and of those, 34.9 per cent want a job. Only 4.4 per cent of women aged 16 to 64 in Gloucester are self employed, and only 7 per cent are managers, directors or senior officials.

And in Gloucester, 26.4 per cent of children are born into the most deprived households in the city (compared to a national average of 16 per cent).

Nationally, women earn less per hour, on average, than men in all nine major occupation groups. This is often because more women work part-time, and part-time jobs tend to be lower paid. But there’s a pay gap in full-time employment too, even when women outnumber men at  work.

Women are statistically more likely to work in lower-paid sectors, like care, leisure, administrative and secretarial jobs.

Rachael Sugden and Jenny Eastwood at the Glos100 event

Women hold 45 per cent of ‘professional’ occupations (such as scientists, engineers and doctors) but their hourly earnings are, on average, 11 per cent less than men.

In education, where five out of six primary school teachers are women, men earn more.

And as many women themselves will readily admit, we are predisposed to lack confidence, to shy away from pushing ourselves to the front of the queue and we rarely shout about our achievements.

These stats (and many more equally disheartening numbers) have been discussed by a group of women in Gloucester from many different backgrounds.

Dame Janet Trotter, the former Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire, was one of our esteemed judges for the 50 Greatest Women in Gloucestershire - and she was also one of our 100 Most Influential Women in the West.

Dame Janet Trotter, founder of the Glos100 group

Chaired by Dame Janet, and at the invitation of Gloucester’s MP, Richard Graham, women from across the city were invited to formulate a plan, a project idea, that would build on the legacy of the suffrage anniversary to have a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives of women in Gloucester in the future.

No small task then.

Our founding group have met on a number of occasions to discuss what we should do, as women, for our city.

We wanted to build confidence and self-awareness. We wanted to reduce low self-worth and increase feelings of success not failure – and to raise HOPE:

  • Help women to create
  • Opportunities to develop
  • Potential to
  • Empower all

And how would we do this? Well, again, we turned to the stats which said that the best way to support women is to ‘build a sisterhood’ (thanks Forbes Coaches Council).

So the seed was sown for the Glos100. We would invite women, from all backgrounds, from all walks of life, to become a 100 member, to mentor, coach, guide, support and, hopefully, generally inspire, other women to reach their full potential – whatever that may be.

Helen Chard, Dorrett Samuels, and Adele Owen

And the aim, by the end of this year, is to have a bank of at least 100 women willing and able to give their time to other women in Gloucester.

Every woman has something to offer other women. And every woman needs support from other women, no matter where they are in life, no matter what their experiences.

Whether that’s advice to get ahead at work, support to handle challenging children or confidence and practical guidance to follow your dreams.

Formal training in the techniques required to effectively mentor will be provided to all of the women who want to take part. The aim initially is to create a database of 100 women in the city who can be paired with women who feel they could do with some support (of any kind).

Jo Fear and Rose Mahon

Dame Janet Trotter, Chairwoman of the Glos100 project, said at the launch, held at the Med Kitchen at Gloucester Quays on March 8 (International Women’s Day), said: “I have never considered myself to be a feminist, and I have always just ‘got on with it’ when I have faced discrimination because of my gender. But the reality is, while we have come a long way as women in the past 100 years, we still have a very long way to go to achieve equality - and I sincerely hope the women of Gloucester will join this campaign to lift up women across the city.”

Attendees at the Gloucester 100 launch included: Zahreen Ahmed, Leigh Binns, Fran Boait, Helen Chard, Jenny Eastwood, Jolene Fear, Sharna George, Leann Huntley, Houi Mae Jones, Ruther Mather, Tracy Millard, Yazmin Nicette, Lisa Newman, Adele Owen, Melanie Palmer, Rita Rimkiene, Ann Sanby, Dorrett Samuels, Ruth Sanders, Hlengiwe Sithole, Amy Stokes, Lisa Stokes, Kirsty Tate, Verona Vidal, Sue Waters and Lesley Williams.

Fran Boait and Verona Vidal

Lindsey Young, COO of Clarkson Evans, Vanessa Worrell, project manager for Together in Matson, Jo Sutherland, founder of Charlie’s Cancer Support, and Rose Mahon, head of excellence and development at the Nelson Trust, each shared their personal stories with guests. While each of the women have had different life experiences, all were united in their belief that mentoring, having someone to lean on, and developing self confidence and self-worth, are key to achieving potential.

Bishop Rachel Treweek, who also attended the launch, said: “Together we really can help people achieve their potential. It is a life-long journey - and I say to girls that I mentor that I’m no better than them, I’ve just made different life choices. I want to help them become who they are.”

Some of the women already signed up to become mentors include:

  • Dame Janet Trotter, OBE, Chair of Glos100
  • Vanessa Worrall, project manager of Together in Matson
  • Lindsey Young, Chief Operating Officer, Clarkson Evans
  • Carol Francis, Community Link Co-ordinator and Gloucester FM
  • Jo Sutherland, Charlies Cancer Support Group
  • Rita Rimkene, World Cafe
  • Linsey Temple, Chief Executive Gloucestershire Engineering Training
  • Cllr Jennie Watkins, Deputy Leader, Gloucester City Council
  • Niki Gould, Women’s Community Services Manager, The Nelson Trust
  • Anne Brinkhoff, Corporate Director at Gloucester City Council

Find out more about these women here.

If you would like to find out more information about becoming a mentor or being mentored, please email TheGloucester100@gmail.com

If you would like to join in the conversation on Twitter, please share your stories using the hashtag #Glos100 with @glosliveonline or email rachael.sugden@reachplc.com