Have you ever wished for an opportunity to communicate with other women, for business purposes, for social connection, for confidence building, or just to relax and enjoy the company of others?
It has been acknowledged that women survive and thrive with the support of each other. A chance to talk with like-minded peers about work, personal and professional development or for support and empowerment often assists women to do well in the workplace. It also works in their social environment, whilst health and wellbeing can be significantly improved.
A new concept in networking has launched in Felixstowe, the first of its kind in the area. Cocktails and Conversation is the brainchild of Laura Locke, a long-time resident in the Felixstowe area. Laura had worked in Ipswich for many years, latterly as a course leader for the BA Hons Event and Tourism degree programme at the University of Suffolk, during which she enjoyed the opportunity to support students in their professional development, also running events for International Women’s Day and networking events for women.
Laura’s research interest in her undergraduate and postgraduate studies was focused on gender and women in leadership. In a past life as news editor for Suffolk and Essex Business Magazines, and through working in travel and tourism, Laura has attended many networking events and it occurred to her that they were not always meeting the needs of all potential attendees. The responsibilities for child care and aged parents often fall to the female, and many women operate as sole traders, without the opportunity to escape during the day, with the overwhelming responsibilities of the business.
During her research, Laura encountered the book by Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook – entitled ‘Lean-in – Women, Work and the Will to Lead’ and discovered that a range of Lean-in Circles had been established across America and now globally including in the UK.
The underpinning philosophy of these groups is that women, with the support of others, and the confidence to say ‘yes I can’ can achieve so much more. Laura established Felixstowe Females – a Lean in Circle and from this initiative began to present a regular ‘woman’s hour’ on Felixstowe Radio, interviewing women from many different walks of life: literature, health and wellbeing, recruitment, music, and theatre to name a few.
The realization dawned, through the challenges encountered when trying to recruit Felixstowe women to talk on the radio programme, that there were no specific opportunities for women to network with women, in an informal, relaxed environment.
Hence, ‘Cocktails and Conversation’ was conceived, through many conversations with friends and contacts and connections new and old. A pilot event is to be held on Thursday 16th May 2019, and with the support of the Copas Bar, Mandeep Birdy of TheFelixstowe Magazine and the team from A and S Recruitment and the Greenhouse Café in Orwell Road, Felixstowe, the evening has been created to help women connect and communicate over a cocktail (or equivalent).
No big speeches are planned, no standing up and making a pitch. The evening is open to all women, whether working or not, launching into the world of work, considering going back to work or never wanting to work formally again but just wanting to keep connected, and to enjoy the buzz of women connecting in the fabulous town of Felixstowe.
When: Thursday 16th May 2019
Where: Copas Bar, Sea Road, Felixstowe IP11 2DN
Time: 6.30 pm to 8pm
To Book: early bird tickets by 1st May 2019 https://bit.ly/2UMORXG
Power Events:www.facebook.com/changeevents Felixstowe Females – a Lean-in Circlewww.facebook.com/felixstowefemales
