Meet Steph
Tell us a bit about yourself
I've lived in Bath for over twenty years, though originally hail from a village near Stratford-on-Avon where I went to school (yes, I do love Shakespeare and the theatre). I studied law at Southampton Uni, then urban planning, before working in a town planning consultancy in Winchester for ten years.
With two young children and a husband working abroad, I found this job hard to juggle so I took a couple of years out of work during which time I fell into charity fundraising by taking on first treasurer, then chair of Newbridge School PTA (later followed by a Governor role). I also volunteered in my local charity shop (something that I'd also done whilst at Uni).
In fact, my first forays into charity fundraising started when I was much younger, helping my mum 'practice' her fortune telling skills on me and my siblings ahead of our primary school summer fete! I also raised £3,000 to join an Operation Raleigh expedition to Namibia when I was 22, supporting the black rhino project and building a playground for a school.
I then worked in the charity sector for about 10 years, primarily in community and grants and trusts fundraising, for Mercy in Action, Mentoring Plus, Bath Festivals and Gympanzees. In 2020, after a 15 year gap, and in my early 50s, I decided to bite the bullet and return to my career in town planning and I now work as an environment and planning adviser for Wessex Water, which I absolutely love. I’m a trustee of Mentoring Plus, so maintaining my connection to the charity sector and recently gathered a team from Wessex Water to play in the Mentoring Plus charity football tournament.
What inspired you to join Bath Women's Fund?
I joined Bath Women's Fund during Covid - I was missing connectivity and knew that they met online. I felt that my world was shrinking and needed to widen it. Connecting was the focus of my charity career and moving from this sector into the utility sector for work, meant that I needed to find another way of connecting with my community. Bath Women's Fund fills this role perfectly.
What are the issues that you are most passionate about?
I asked my daughter, Grace, and she said 'getting everyone walking and being outside' which is probably fair. I've thoroughly enjoyed supporting Annie Legge and her inspirational Bath 5K Map walks over the last couple of years - you just can't beat a good walk and talk!
Coming from a working class family with four kids, I'm passionate about equality of opportunity and supporting young people to thrive whilst recognising that looks different for each of us. I've found myself helping many young people with their CVs and job applications over the past few years which is incredibly rewarding!
I also love camping, swimming, cycling along the river, scouring charity shops for bargains (my local Chelsea Road has three great options), sewing and am currently learning to knit.I still enjoy organising events such as my work team away days and I do like problem solving!
What would you be most interested in learning about as a Bath Women's Fund member?
I absolutely love our potluck picnics at interesting venues around Bath and love learning both about the venue, but also the role that it plays in education and the community. Some of my favourites were visits to Cleveland Pools, the Bath Fashion Museum and our history of women in Bath walks - as you can see these all hit my passions in one way or another! I love listening to our invited guests talk as it always restores my faith in the goodness of human nature, but I admit to having a terrible memory for names and facts!
What is your favourite place/thing to do in and around Bath?
Swimming at my nearby outdoor pool, and a good walk with a cafe stop - Kelston Roundhill and the cheese shop is a regular haunt. I also love a National Trust cheese scone and a garden visit so Dyrham Park ticks both of those boxes. I also love sitting in our garden with friends, sharing home cooked pizzas or some fresh bread or Greek pastries from our local Basil’s Bakery, and salads with friends and family.