A team from Cumbria has won a national award for creating a “powerful movement” to improve gender balance in the region.
The Women in Nuclear (WiN) Cumbria branch scooped the top ‘Innovation’ award at the Northern Power Women Awards ceremony in Manchester.
The event gathered 800 people from industry across the north of the country celebrate the women and men working to improve gender balance in the workforce across the entire Northern Powerhouse.
Simone Roche MBE, Founder and CEO of Northern Power Women, said: “WiN Cumbria started a movement that has caught the eye of industry and parliament.
“It has given countless women within the nuclear industry access to conferences, events, mentoring and role models that wouldn’t have otherwise been in their reach.
“I’d like to thank the team for being a real engineer for positive change, helping our Northern Power Women network create gender balance and equality in the North.”
Angela Seeney, Transformation Director for Sellafield Ltd, said: “It was wonderful to be there to see Cumbria recognised as a key influential player alongside Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Newcastle, contributing to the UK economy.
“The WiN Cumbria network is critical to the transformation of Sellafield Ltd and our industry, but to the future of the county.
“I’d like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the team and the other finalists, who have worked hard to build a powerful community of women, men and businesses with an important goal. I look forward to seeing what they do next.”
The WiN team was joined by other Cumbria finalists – Sarah Purdham of Prima Uno Ltd, Balfour Beatty’s Amanda Mackay and Sally Fielding of ‘Sally’s Cottages’.
Chair of the WiN Cumbria, Claire Gallery-Strong, said: “To have the WiN Cumbria name announced on such a national stage, in a room full of 800 inspirational and influential people, was overwhelming.
“When we launched a year ago, we set out to make a difference, but never dreamed we would make such an impact so quickly. It is down to our incredible community of men and women who have embraced the WiN Cumbria vision.
“To be joined at the awards by other finalists like Sarah Purdham, Sally Fielding and Amanda McKay meant we were really flying the flag for Cumbria.
“We are excited to be heading into the next year knowing we’re part of the wider northern power community, building a diverse workforce of the future, for Cumbria and the UK.”
The WiN Cumbria team was established in March 2018, as part of the global organisation, WiN UK, which recognised the unique contribution that the county makes to the nuclear sector.
Since its launch, the network has become a powerful community of local organisations and individuals working together to achieve gender diversity within the Cumbrian workforce.
The patron for WiN UK and CEO of the Office for Nuclear Regulation, Adrienne Kelbie, was crowned ‘Transformational Leader’.
