Over 100 business women and men from across South Yorkshire attended the Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce's Women in Business event to celebrate International Women's Day.
Supported by the Chamber, the group meet regularly to come up with ideas and opportunities for creative, inspiring and interactive ways for women to network, learn, signpost and share with each other.
Sponsored by Airmaster, Berneslai Homes, Rotherham Together Partnership, Zeun Digital, Picture Perfect Photography and Mitsubishi Electric, highlighted the achievements, challenges and role of women in both a personal and professional capacity.
Speakers included several female business leaders from across the region including author and mental health advocate Kathryn Littlewood; award-winning managing director of Thermotex Chloe Watmore; Gulliver's managing director Julie Dalton and Chamber president Lisa Pogson. The clear message was that women can do anything, be anything and achieve anything.
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Julie Dalton, mother of two and managing director of Gulliver's Theme Parks (pictured, right), said: "It was a real pleasure to be asked to speak for Women in Business at their annual International Women's Day event. The day was brilliant, celebrating and reflecting on the contribution women make to the community through business. I am very pleased to say most of our senior leadership team at Gulliver's consists of women - not because we have cherry picked - but because they were the best candidates and most qualified for the job."
Among the presentations female entrepreneurs and their children hosted "Sofa Chats" inspired by the Listening Project and developed by the BBC and National Archives, which explored the life of working mums from both sides. These included Rotherham-based Grimm & Co founding director Deborah Bullivant and her son Luke Dale; filmmaker and entrepreneur Nuzrath Al-Baqir and her daughter Nabeela Mowlana and Graywoods founder Deborah Lockwood and her daughter Danielle.
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This year's theme was #PressforProgress, which marks the 100th anniversary certain women got the vote following the passion and determination of the Suffragette movement. The event highlighted how the role of women changed after this landmark decision and what, if anything, the role of women would be now should this shift in politics not have happened.
Jackie Freeborn, chair of Women in Business and co-host of International Women's Day (pictured, left), said: "This is the third year we have held an International Women's Day event and each year it becomes bigger, better and more passionate. All the Chamber's Women in Business events aim to help business women across Barnsley and Rotherham by providing support through collaboration to ensure they can grow and develop.
"The real success of the event was to find how guests felt inspired, uplifted and motivated after hearing moving, funny and truly inspirational stories from our guest speakers and hosts.
"I would like to say a huge thank you to every single person who joined us to help celebrate International Women's Day. We are already making plans for our 2019 event!"
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