This International Women’s Day, Jess Cook, our Head of Foundation, shares her views on the theme ‘Accelerating Action’ and celebrates some of the women involved in the Northern Powergrid Foundation.  

International Women’s Day reminds us of the progress made toward gender equality, and what more still needs to be done. This year’s theme is ‘Accelerating Action’, and it focuses on the actions we can all take to advance this cause.  

The Northern Powergrid Foundation is a grant-giving charity, taking action to support, enhance, and empower our communities. We help them to overcome barriers and increase their resilience in an ever-changing energy landscape.  

I am so proud to be leading the next chapter of our charity; I have been incredibly lucky with the opportunities I have been given in my career to date, all of which have helped me to get to this point.

I credit my soft skills as the major contributing factor to my successes – I’ve never forgotten the person at the end of the phone, email, or service we offer, and have embraced the mantra of treating others as I would wish to be treated. I hope I can inspire my own daughters, and other young girls and women, to embrace these skills and aim high.  

I am also incredibly lucky to work with some truly inspiring women at the Foundation, who together help make a real difference to those living and working in the communities in Northern Powergrid’s regions. I felt it only appropriate to showcase and celebrate some of them here.  

Kate Bradley 

As an independent Trustee, Kate brings with her a wealth of experience to the Foundation. She has over 25 years’ experience in charities, grant making, and foundations, and in addition volunteers with Speakers for Schools.  

Kate hopes her grant-making expertise can help create resilient and thriving communities and share learnings by funding a range of unique and exciting projects. She says that she is a “big believer in deeds and not words” – a perfect sentiment for this year’s IWD theme! 

Jacqueline Critchley  

We welcomed Jacqueline as our new Foundation Operations Manager in February. An avid football fan, Jacqueline joined us from the Newcastle United Foundation, where she served as the Youth Violence Project Coordinator before becoming the Health & Wellbeing Manager.  

Her passion for strengthening communities and her innovative approach to operations are already making a positive impact on our team. Jacqueline says I strongly believe that communities are always stronger together and would urge our local communities to work in cohesion towards a brighter and sustainable future. 

Louise Lowes 

One of two non-independent Trustees, Louise is the Director of Customer Services at Northern Powergrid and is extremely passionate about improving the services and support offered to customers. She’s seen the impact of long-duration power cuts and so truly advocates for improved resilience, particularly for our rural communities.  

Louise says “this International Women’s Day let’s take some time to join with others and stand together fearlessly in being ourselves. Being there for each other and advocating for people in the North is vital to ensuring no talent goes unseen and people realise their potential. This is especially important in underrepresented industries such as ours, where we need to remember to support each other in taking decisive steps to create a more even playing field by lifting each other up, breaking barriers and amplifying voices.”  

Honor Morton  

Honor joined us in late January as our new Administrator. Coming from Northern Powergrid’s contact centre, she has honed her skills in customer service and gained extensive knowledge about the industry.  

With a background in customer service and a keen eye for detail, Honor is dedicated to ensuring smooth and efficient operations within the foundation. She is passionate about helping others and is always ready to lend a hand.  Honor feels that her experience in the contact centre has shown her firsthand how vital community support can be, especially for the most vulnerable individuals who may not have a family member or friend nearby. She emphasises the importance of strong communities in providing a safety net and fostering a sense of belonging. This realisation fuels her passion for the foundation and reinforces her belief in its essential mission. 

International Women’s Day is celebrated on 8 March every year. It celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women across the world, and gives focus to issues such as gender equality. Find out more at www.internationalwomensday.com.