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Sister Mary Jaques was instrumental in providing medical care to the growing working population of mid-nineteenth century Middlesbrough, profoundly shaping the development of modern healthcare in the region.   Born in London in 1813, Frances Mary Rachel Jaques belonged to a well-respected family. Her mother, Elizabeth Frances Gore, was descended from a prominent political family, […]

Celebrating Team Assist – Volunteer Week 2025 & Our 15th Birthday! 💜 As we mark Volunteer Week 2025, we’re taking a moment to celebrate the heart of Assist Women’s Network, our incredible volunteers, and to toast a huge milestone of over 15 years of empowering, connecting, and championing women across the Tees Valley. From the

March is Women’s History Month when we come together to collectively celebrate and shout about the incredible contribution women have made to our local, national and international histories. It’s a chance to reignite our enthusiasm for the more well-known historic figures but also gives me the perfect opportunity to shine a light on somebody who

Starting at the very beginning, Elizabeth Ann Purvis was born in January 1852 to Isabelle & tobacconist Archibald Purvis in Newcastle. She had an older brother called John and a younger sister, and by the 1861 census, the family were living in Elswick, Newcastle with Archibald still selling tobacco and John now aged 16 and

CONTENT WARNING – Please be advised that for historical accuracy this article contains some offensive or harmful language which is used to provide social context of a specific time and the attitudes and opinions of the people. Teesside Archives is committed to being fully transparent and acknowledging the use of harmful language in our collections and

As a journalist, my career was built on asking questions, uncovering truths, and telling stories that matter. But as the years went by, I found myself living a story I never expected – a tale of ageism. As I approached what some might call ‘later years’, I noticed a shift in how others perceived me.

On a crisp and sunny afternoon in October of this year,  I gathered along with others in Stewarts Park, Middlesbrough, amongst the Sisterwood trees. The occasion was to mark the annual tree planting by the latest goodwill ambassador for the Assist Womens Network.  This time, a cherry tree was planted by Julie, joining the fledgling

Are You a Casual Saver or a Disciplined Investor? In my experience as a financial adviser with over 24 years in the industry, when it comes to managing money, people often fall into two categories: casual savers or disciplined investors. Understanding the difference between the two and learning how to transition from a casual saver

The Truth about Working from Home It can be lonely to work remotely, but I suppose that won’t come as a surprise to most people.  Yes, there’s no dress code, no long commute, and no need to pack lunch, but there’s also no in-person human interaction or communication all day. A Strong Network Luckily for

Would you trust your 18-year-old son or daughter with access to thousands of pounds? That is the question you must ask yourself before saving for your children’s future.  As parents, we often think ahead to the big milestones in our children’s lives. Our children grow and mature into adults themselves, and during this time there

Retirement and the Next Chapter   I am Julie Harker, a retired Personal Assistant. I was fortunate to be in a financial position that allowed me to retire at the young age of 61. I chose to leave my employment in May last year. I planned that date for me to enjoy the summer months,

Embracing femininity within businesses and incorporating empathy and intuition into leadership roles. Embracing femininity while running a business can bring a unique and powerful energy to your leadership style. It’s all about being true to yourself and incorporating your feminine qualities into your approach. Nurturing mindset, effective communication and collaboration are some aspects of femininity

Why I believe in the Law of Attraction Talisa Gill (Director – 10X Marketing Consultancy Ltd)  On the 15th March 2020 I was awake at my usual time of 6am in a lodge overlooking Loch Lomond in Scotland. I sat down with my laptop and designed my new vision board. After reading heaps of self-development books

6 Top Tips for Securing your Cybersecurity  In today’s digital age, cybersecurity has become a paramount concern for organisations of all sizes. With the increasing frequency and sophistication of cyber threats, protecting sensitive data and maintaining the trust of customers are essential.  We at North IT have listed 6 ways in which organisations can help

As a member of the Assist Women’s Network, I can personally vouch for the fact that it does what it says on the tin! This fabulous female-led community: Empowers me to succeed Makes me feel bold as a woman in business Has created a vision that I want be part of  Introduces me to a

‘Mummy, I hate my body’ How my 6-year-old daughter’s words made me reassessing body perception.   I am Karen Ellis, formerly a midwife turned Postnatal Rehabilitation Coach. I help new mums’ in my membership have a body that allows them to pick up their growing children, jump on a trampoline with their toddler and have

From my early days of starting out in business, I was introduced to Ann and the Assist Women’s Network. Starting a business is often a lonely place in the early days, but especially as soon after start-up we ran into the Covid pandemic. I was asked to speak as a guest at the Assist’s GEW,

We’re celebrating Team Assist #VolunteerWeek2023   The growth of Assist has been phenomenal over the past few years. This wouldn’t have been made possible without the dedication, time and efforts of our amazing volunteers. Our team of 50 volunteers have been able to bring our visions to reality, each with their unique skills, experiences and knowledge.   

Image Reference: Acc 7143 Box 4 Envelope 35 Written by Lara Moon, Archivist As part of plans for International Women’s Day this year we have been working with Assist Women’s Network to research into some inspiring women from Teesside’s past as well as celebrating the inspiring Women of Teesside today. Set up in 2009, the

As we all know Assist is ran 100% by volunteers, we are here primarily for the business and professional women of the Tees Valley. Assist provides a platform to connect, collaborate, spotlight, encourage and empower – and we do this well!  The growth of Assist has been phenomenal over the past few years. We have evolved

May 2022 has seen our 13th Birthday and in celebration of us entering our teenage years we wanted to give back to our younger generation. We celebrate our birthday yearly – an annual giveback to the community. This year we celebrated with the MFC Foundation during the final week of their Changemakers course. We had

October Reflection:  Whoa what a month – we sure did have a bag of treats this October 🎃👻🍭 We started the month on a sunny October day with a perfect group of people to give our Sisterwood some ‘TLC’. We started filling the surrounding area of our trees with purple and white bulbs… crocus’, snowdrop’s,

A workforce for the future – helping young people enter the world of work. Whilst much is being said about how we should come out of lockdown and what should have been done or not done there seems to be a consensus that in terms of employment and impact on their lives young people have

Sales and Marketing have historically run independently with varying degrees of cross over. But the debate over which ‘comes first’ in business is as timeless as the Chicken and the Egg argument. Undoubtedly one of the most controversial subjects in these two sectors and one we have embraced since our inception. So, let’s break this

Pop quiz! Where can you find a group who go from discussing business to food choices to miscarriages and relationships? The answer is the Assist Network Podcast Club. The range of topics we discuss is endless and to be perfectly honest, the podcasts we listen to loosely hold our discussions together. Within our groups we

COME AND BE INSPIRED WITH THE ASSIST BOOK CLUB Would you like to be part of a book club with a spark of excitement and inspiration? Really? A book club that is inspiring? Yes, really! When we say book club, what do you think of? Well, let me tell you what it means to us

10th May 2021, Assist Women’s Network turns 12! To celebrate being 12 years young, the amazing Treats of Yarm has baked us a cake which will be delivered to Little Sprouts UK 💜 To further celebrate our 12th birthday, here are just a few reasons why our Core Team love Assist…   📹 Editing: Amy

Week 8… PARTY  “One hour a week just to reflect,  One hour a week to know your own worth,  One hour a week to be honest and real,  To be vulnerable and admit that the struggle is real, To know that you’ve got this and you’ll handle it and you have the strength, To be

Wow, I can’t believe we’ve finished week 7 of the Assist Her course. Next week, will sadly be the end of this amazing course. Let’s hope we can get more funding so we can do it again, as it has clearly impacted the women who have taken part. You can see this by some of