Celebrating our inspirational women
To mark International Women’s Day, we share the stories of three inspirational women at Inspired Villages. Wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do – both for our residents and our employees. We all have unique needs and aspirations, and we’re dedicated to supporting our colleagues to thrive in their careers and their personal lives. Ours is a culture of belonging. One where our people feel safe speaking up about the challenges they’re facing. We know women face numerous challenges in the workplace, so we asked three of our inspirational women to share their stories.
Sally
Sally was struggling with grief after losing her nephew to suicide. She discovered Pete’s Dragon a charity that supports families who have experienced similar tragedies. Pete's Dragon provided Sally with one-to-one counselling and support, which helped her immensely in her healing process. Sally was so grateful for the support she received that she decided to give back by organising a charity coffee morning, which raised an impressive £1,000 for the charity.
Sally's experience has fuelled her passion for helping others in similar situations, and her dedication to this cause is truly inspiring. Sally has become a Mental Health First Aider, helping those who may be struggling. She also goes above and beyond in her work with two residents who have experienced this heart-breaking loss, offering them a listening ear and a shoulder to lean on. In addition to her work with Pete's Dragon, Sally also volunteers with Inspired Friendships, a befriending service that connects older adults with companions.
We’ve encouraged and supported Sally throughout her journey, and we’re immensely proud that she says she couldn't imagine working anywhere else. Her dedication and compassion are truly inspiring, and she is an invaluable member of our team.
Sandra
Sandra has juggled career and family throughout her working life. She brought up three sons and now plays an active role with her grandchildren. In her career, Sandra has worked her way up from being a housekeeping team member to being a supervisor and now running a housekeeping team. One of the biggest challenges she’s faced is fitting work around her family's needs, including her children's different ages and her husband's shift work.
Sandra goes out of her way to support her colleagues to balance work and family responsibilities. She admires emotional connection, sense of humour, and a down-to-earth attitude in other women. In moments of self-doubt or adversity, she builds herself up by talking to others and sharing ideas for feedback.
Her advice to her 20-year-old self would be to spend more time with loved ones and not beat herself up when things don't go as planned. She believes the world needs less negativity and more positivity, as well as greater understanding of all races, cultures, and sexual preferences.
Tania
Tania is one of the heart and souls of Great Alne Park, bringing her energy and positivity to every Zumba class she teaches. But Tania’s journey to becoming a source of inspiration wasn’t an easy one. Growing up with two brothers, she often felt like she had to work twice as hard to be taken seriously. But she’s refuses to let anyone hold her back, and her determination has paid off. Her proudest achievement is raising over £10,000 for women’s cancer charities, a cause that’s close to her heart.
Tania's story highlights the importance of embracing neurodiversity in our workplace. As someone who struggles with corporate language and tone, Tania's strengths lie in her ability to connect with colleagues on a more personal level, fostering a positive and supportive work environment through her willingness to share experiences and laughter.
These are just a few stories from a pool of inspirational women here and we look forward to continuing sharing more of these over the coming months.
At Inspired Villages we’re committed to supporting our colleagues and creating a workplace where everyone can thrive. We can only succeed when our colleagues do too. As we celebrate International Women's Day, we want to thank and celebrate all the inspirational women at Inspired Villages and beyond.
