Making HERstory all about ownership of identity

Brighton marked International Women’s Day with the backing of a leading local charity, staging a powerful event that drew huge support.

A range of Sussex based businesses came together to celebrate and host Brighton’s leading International Women’s Day event, ‘Making HERstory II’.

This was the second event of its kind and took place on Wednesday 8 March at the Ironworks Studios in Brighton. Rockinghorse Children’s Charity was the event’s charity partner. The Ironworks is the head office of Brighton Pride and is a great venue that hosts a range of comedy, corporate and community events, which share the common goal of supporting inclusion and diversity in the city.

The event saw over 100 guests come together to network, take part in an empowering workshop led by award winning comedians Funny Women, a panel discussion featuring some of Sussex’s leading business women, and a comedy hour hosted by leading comedian and TV personality, Zoe Lyons.

HERstory was staged in partnership with Healys LLP, Creative Pod, Warren House Accountants, Myla Health, The Ironworks Studios, Devils Dyke Gin, Phase Photography, SBT Magazine and Latest TV.

The topic of this year’s event was ‘Ownership of Identity’ and the powerful and expert panel, led by Marketing Manager and TV Presenter, Stephanie Prior, discussed their experiences along with the importance of owning one’s identity in the workplace.

The panel comprised Donna Holland, CEO of Rockinghorse Children’s Charity, Dr Carol Gilling-Smith, CEO and Medical Director of The Agora Clinic, Dr Olivia Hum, founder of Myla Health, Paige Collins, partner at Warren House Accountants, Jamie Tavares, Commercial and Corporate Lawyer at Healys LLP, and Sarah Lyons, Marketing Director at Creative Pod.

It was a great chance for the audience to hear a range of examples of how members of the panel dealt with the challenges they have faced during their careers and how they are paving the way for future generations of women to feel able to own their space both in their professional and personal roles.

Afterwards Dr Olivia Hum said: “This was a great opportunity to meet a whole range of exceptional women, share our thoughts on navigating the world of work and home life and enjoy a great evening in aid of a great cause. It was also fascinating to hear how other women’s experiences mirror each other, despite often working in very different fields.”

The evening was rounded off with a comedy showcase hosted by Bronwyn Sweeney with Yuriko Kotani, Elaine Fellows and headlined by the brilliant Zoe Lyons.

Donna Holland, CEO of Rockinghorse Children’s Charity said: “We were really proud to work with Stephanie on this brilliant event marking International Women’s Day. Brighton is a city renowned for its inclusivity and diversity – a city where different identities live, work and love. Celebrating people’s ability to bring their whole selves to work and supporting those that can’t yet, is vital to the success of our city.

“This event gave us a chance to come together, learn from each other, hear from our incredible panel guests and enjoy an evening of great comedy.”

For more information regarding Sussex-based Women in Business events, contact: Stephanie.prior@healys.com