About Women Inspired - South Yorkshire

The South Yorkshire Women’s Network exists to inspire, empower, and elevate women from all backgrounds to reach their full potential. We are a community rooted in compassion, equity, and collaboration, committed to removing barriers, amplifying women’s voices, and creating opportunities for meaningful personal and professional growth.

We recognise that structural inequalities, gender bias, and the unequal impact of work-life balance continue to hinder many women’s progress. In response, our network offers a dedicated space where women can connect, lead, and thrive, supported by mentorship, shared learning, and leadership development tailored to their lived experiences.

While our focus is on the empowerment of women, we also champion allyship and inclusivity, encouraging dialogue and greater understanding across all genders to build a more equitable and supportive future for everyone.

Together, we are shaping a culture where every woman feels seen, heard, and fully equipped to lead.

In December 2022, the first South Yorkshire Women’s Network was established. Initially the NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) set up annual face to face networking events to bring women working in health and care across South Yorkshire together.

In July 2024 a South Yorkshire wide Women’s network was set up and titled ‘Women Inspired – South Yorkshire’

2026 Webinar Recordings

Cervical Health | Thursday 15th January 2026


Inspirational Talk with Stephanie Chung | Tuesday 20th January 2026


Unlock Your Energy: Three Pillars for a Happier, Healthier You | Monday 26th January 2026


HIIT/Circuits Style Virtual Exercise Session | Monday 23rd February 2026


South Yorkshire Women Together – International Women’s Day 2026 | Monday 9th March 2026


Pregnancy to Adulthood – The roles of a carer and how disabled people can change society in a positive way with Dr Janet Chelliah | Wednesday 18th March 2026


Reset & Renew: Healthy habits masterclass for body & mind | Tuesday 24th March 2026

2025 Webinar Recordings

Women Inspired: South Yorkshire Women’s Network – Breaking Barriers: Navigating systems and building careers – Race Equality Week 2025 | Tuesday 11th February 2025


Women Empowerment Webinar with Laura Serrant | Tuesday 22nd April 2025


A World Beyond the Classroom: My Mission to Support Vulnerable Communities with Ridwana Wallace-Laher | Monday 12th May 2025


From Barriers to Bridges with Sofia Mahmood | Wednesday 4th June 2025


Moving Beyond the Tick Box: Building Culturally Competent and Truly Inclusive Workplaces with Hannah Din | Thursday 10th July 2025


Women Inspired One Year Anniversary – Resilience in the face of uncertainty – The importance of a glow up, Time out and laughing in the face of adversity with Shahida Siddique | Monday 14th July 2025


The Hidden Link: Neurodiversity and Mental Health with Julie White | Tuesday 14th October 2025


Cook-along session with the family: Healthy Curry & Mauritian Chutney | Tuesday 4th November 2025 


Inspirational Talk with Katy Calvin-Thomas | Tuesday 18th November 2025

International Women's Day 2025

Women Inspired South Yorkshire held its first in-person event to share and celebrate the successes of women across South Yorkshire. This event included a diverse range of inspiring speakers sharing their lived experiences in the hope of connecting, inspiring and empowering all women in our region.

The International Women’s Day 2025 campaign theme is Accelerate Action. The theme focuses on speeding up women’s equality.

Chair and Deputy Chair

Hannah Din – Chair 

Hannah Din is the CEO and Founder of Thrive Social Capital CIC, a social enterprise empowering ethnic minority and marginalised communities through inclusive employment, education, and wellbeing.  With over 20 years of experience in the finance and corporate world, including work at the New York Stock Exchange and ownership of a hotel, restaurant, and bridging finance company across the UK and UAE, Hannah brings a wealth of commercial expertise to her community driven mission.

Louise Berwick – Deputy Chair

Louise is the Director of the South Yorkshire Primary Care Workforce and Training Hub and leads a multi-disciplinary team. Louise is dedicated to helping individuals reach their potential and believes that Women Inspired South Yorkshire plays a vital role in addressing structural inequities and providing a safe space for support and discussion.

Strategy & People

Brigitte Kaviani – Head of Strategy & People   

Brigitte is Programme Director for People Experience at NHS South Yorkshire ICB, bringing over 38 years of NHS experience. She leads strategic workstreams including mental health, wellbeing, retention, EDI, and talent. Brigitte was named Employee Benefits Professional of the Year in 2024 and spearheads the ICS-wide ‘Mission: Menopause’ initiative. She is a passionate advocate for women’s health and a key supporter of Women Inspired South Yorkshire.

Sarah Newbold – Deputy to Head of Strategy & People

Sarah is a Registered Nurse with over 30 years of experience across NHS, charitable, and private sectors. Currently seconded to Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust as a People Promise Manager, she brings deep leadership and system-level insight. Sarah is committed to challenging inequality and amplifying underrepresented voices in healthcare.

Christine Joy – Head of Growth & Engagement

Christine is Chief People Officer for NHS South Yorkshire ICB and has over 25 years NHS experience. She has led the development of the Working Together Pathway which is an enabling workforce strategy designed to recognise and value all those in South Yorkshire with roles in health and care, paid or unpaid. Christine has previously had a leading role in the development of the NHS England women’s network and has been able to bring the learning from that experience to bear in the development journey of Women Inspired South Yorkshire. Christine is the executive lead for EDI across South Yorkshire and is passionate about enabling our workplaces to be as inclusive as possible.

Loma Jones – Deputy Head of Growth & Engagement

Loma is the Equality, Diveristy, Inclusion and Belonging Lead for the NHS South Yorkshire ICB. Prior to joining the NHS in 2024 she worked in the voluntary sector and in higher education. She is passionate about shaping equitable practices and uplifting women in an intersectionally minded way. She believes that we are always more powerful when we are connected and when we are actively listening to one another’s experiences.

Communications

Amy Pope – Head of Comms

Amy is currently working as a Project Officer at the South Yorkshire Primary Care Workforce and Training hub and supports on a variety of projects and networks. Amy joined the NHS in 2024 but has previously worked in social care and voluntary settings. Amy also loves any opportunity to be creative at work and enjoys designing different visual resources that are informative, accessible, and engaging.

Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging

Paris Pinnock – Cowell – Head of EDI

Paris is Matron for Perinatal Health and Wellbeing Services at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and a registered midwife. With experience in community care, safeguarding, and cultural safety, she brings both lived and professional insight to her role. Paris champions equity, inclusion, and intersectionality within Women Inspired South Yorkshire.

Blerta Ilazi – Deputy to Head of EDI

Blerta is a Queen’s Nurse and Inclusion Health Specialist whose career spans frontline nursing, academia, and workforce development. She works in South Yorkshire Primary Training hub and leads the ReSTORE programme, which helps refugee nurses return to practice, and also teaches on health inequalities, promoting more inclusive approaches to healthcare. Her work brings together clinical expertise, education, and leadership to strengthen the workforce and advance health equity.

Events

Victoria (Tori) Russell – Head of events

Tori is Admin Co-ordinator at the Yorkshire Endoscopy Training Academy. With a background in labs and organisational development, she excels in planning and delivering impactful events. Her enthusiasm and attention to detail help bring the Women’s Network’s vision to life.

Health and Wellbeing

Caroline Branigan – Head of Health & Wellbeing

Caroline leads health and wellbeing initiatives at NHS South Yorkshire ICB, supporting both internal staff and the wider health and care workforce. With over a decade in NHS HR roles, she is passionate about improving the wellbeing of women in the sector and driving sustainable, inclusive support programmes.

Liz Leggott – Deputy to Head of Health & Wellbeing

Liz is a true believer in making change happen and is passionate about making improvements wherever she can, whether it’s through continuous learning and evolution, supporting staff to expand their roles and expectations of themselves, or improving access to healthcare by investing in quality training. Liz’s work focus and current obsession is on the use of affective digital learning tools and implementing AI powered solutions; Liz believes these can make a real difference in training, recruitment and retention.

Charity Engagement

Enioluwada Oluwajoba (Rhoda) – Charity 

Enioluwada is an Operations Manager at Primary Care Sheffield, bringing extensive experience across community engagement, service improvement, and partnership development. In her previous role as Engagement and Participation Lead for the Children’s Care Group at  Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust, she was recognised with a 2024 award for her leadership, and her co‑production project earned a further award in 2025.

She is a Trustee and Sanctuary Ambassador for City of Sanctuary UK, and an active member of the national Steering Group, promoting inclusive practice and advocating for people seeking sanctuary. Enioluwada brings a deeply values‑driven approach to her role as Head of Charity Relations for Women Inspired South Yorkshire, championing charitable partnerships and initiatives that amplify women’s voices and create meaningful community impact.

Administration

Sarah Cooke – Head of Admin

Sarah is a Business Support Officer in the People Experience Team at NHS South Yorkshire ICB, with over five years of NHS experience. She plays a vital role in the smooth running of the team and is a passionate advocate for the Women Inspired South Yorkshire Network.