Please see our images page for photos from past events.

Past Events

16th March 2011 Part of the Global Manufacturing Festival - "Women in Manufacturing"

As part of the Global Manufacturing Festival, the event is celebrated the success of women in manufacturing through the ages.

The event was chaired by Pam Liversidge OBE who was the first female president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, as well as Senator of the Engineering Council, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Deputy Lieutenant of South Yorkshire, and former High Sheriff of South Yorkshire, while she received an OBE in 1999 for services to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

We were joined by a young and inspirational entrepreneur Katey Felton, who built her successful silversmithing business in Sheffield, a highly experienced woman in manufacturing Elinor Oldroyd who is General Manager of Firth Rixon, and Kathleen Roberts - one of the women who tackled back-breaking roles in the steel industry during the war years.
Watching dog fights in the sky overhead whilst working, continuing to work through air raid sirens and fighting off the rats was just a normal day, not to mention the back breaking work, the heat and the noise of the factory and the dangerous work she was doing to ensure the parts for the tanks, aircraft or bullets were ready. Most women were doing this whilst still having a family - Kathleen recollects how one woman had a baby and was back to work five days later doing 12 hour shifts and feeding her baby in her break.

The event was a celebration of successful women in manufacturing, past and present.

The event was a huge success with 120 delegates in attendance.

Lyceum Theatre, 20th May 2009 - "Shooting Stars"

An inspiring woman has spoken about how businesses should embrace the recession – and bin their SMART objectives.
Liz Jackson, managing director of Great Guns Marketing,was the key speaker at the latest Women in Business Annual Joint Chambers event, organised by the three South Yorkshire Chambers and hosted by Sheffield Chamber.
Liz left school with three O-levels and, with little funding, decided to launch Great Guns Marketing. But the year she started to develop the business, she lost her sight completely as a result of the eye disorder Retinitis Pigmentosa. She ignoredmedical advice to shut down the business and today Great Guns turns over more than £3million and is continuing to grow, despite the recession.
Liz said: “Themedia will tell you can’t build a business in a recession, but the downturn has built innovation and creativity in the workplace and we’ve all had to think outside the box. It has made business fun. There is more competitiveness and we should embrace and work with it. “That’s why I’m not enthused by SMART objectives. Smart, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely take the fun out of business – you need the fun stuff to achieve goals. My motto in business is if you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re absolutely right!”
Also speaking on the day was ‘Young Gun’, Ruth Amos,a 19-year-old entrepreneur who designed the StairSteady in response to a teacher challenge at school when she was 16.
InspiringWomen is a forumof Sheffield Chamber and has been created to help the region’s business community recognise the benefits we gain from the passion, power and dynamism of women in business.
The InspiringWomen event, ‘Young GunsMeet Great Guns’, was held at the Lyceumand sponsored by Natwest
Bank, Business & Education South Yorkshire and BiG.

This event recieved fantastic feedback and was a huge success. We hope you will continue to support the Inspiring Women group, and look forward to holding more fantastic business events with great speakers.

Purely Networking Event

At your request, the group have decided to hold an event based around purely networking. In a relaxed and informal environment, you will be encouraged to network with some of the cities leading business people and gain valuable contacts and business leads. The group have also conveniently placed the event at the end of the working day - pop by after work on your way home and finish the day on a positive note!

The Inspiring Women events attract a diverse range of businesses, so you will be guaranteed to have an interesting afternoon!

Kindly hosted by Domino Commercial Interiors, the event will take place inside an exciting and unique space. The first floor office space at JF Finnegans Wards Exchange development on Ecclesall Road is designed to showcase the new "Workspace DNA" approach to office design; created by Domino Interiors as an exemplar facility which highlights the latest thinking in creative use of space.

A good event with networking opportunities for all. Feedback suggested the delegates enjoyed the relaxed and informal feel to the event, and welcome further events of a similar style.