The Women's Organisation social enterprise is leading the way in delivering training and advice for women to get into business in Merseyside.
The social enterprise is holding a seminar this week to encourage more women into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
During and after lockdown The Women's Organisation (TWO) delivered a record number of training and advice sessions.
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Head of Business Advice Plus at TWO Sophia Kennedy told the ECHO: "We have an obligation to connect and empower women to grow together in every sense and we are offering a variety of pathways to achieve this."
The number of people getting in touch with TWO almost trebled during the lockdown period.
Sophia said it was "a sign of resilience and tenacity in the face of the adversity faced by women throughout the pandemic."
She added: "It’s fantastic to see so many women taking their futures into their own hands and investing in professional and personal development.
"As long as drive and opportunities exist the team will do all we can to help as many women as possible".
Within weeks of lockdown, TWO adopted a hybrid approach to delivering sessions and hosting events.
They were able to offer their services and events online, delivering more than 160 events, training courses and webinars, and held more than 1,000 virtual business advice appointments.
More than 3,000 women accessed training programmes and TWO was able to assist people with more than 4,000 enquiries.
Sophia added: "The hybrid working model was a huge success and continues to offer opportunities as the business community finds its feet again post-lockdown.
"More flexible working is something women (in particular mothers and caregivers) have been calling for, for a long time.
"We’re a fantastic example agile working can greatly increase productivity and offers huge benefits all round".
TWO held a panel event on February 11 for women to start or scale up a business in the STEM industry. It was hosted by an esteemed panel of women successfully operating in the industry.
The panel was made up of Jade Parkinson-Hill, an entrepreneur and marketing professional, Joanna Bateman, a civil engineer who specialises in traffic signal design, and Diana Powell, the CEO and founder of Wirral Unplugged (WU).
Jade created an award-winning educational tech platform to teach kids about future technologies, including flying taxis, space travel and the Metaverse.
STEM ambassador Joanna Bateman is a civil engineer who specialises in traffic signal design.
Joanna said: “I’m grateful to TWO offering a platform to talk.
“Conversations like this help in highlighting career opportunities and to inspire future generations.
“Research has shown, from a young age, certain professions are perceived as gender specific.
“It’s important to challenge these stereotypes.
“We need to empower women in the industry to use their voice, ensuring they have support in their careers."
The final panellist, CEO and founder of Wirral Unplugged (WU) Diana Powell, helps parents and children unplug from tech and explore it together.
Georgina Feeney worked in banking for more than 20 years, going from retail work to a senior private banking manager for the NatWest Group.
With TWO’s help, she set up as a self-employed mortgage and property financial consultant in 2021.
Georgina said: “Put simply, my business journey would not have been possible without the help I received.
“TWO gave me access to all the professional help to take my business plan from concept to reality.
“Perhaps even more importantly, TWO connected me to other women taking risks on similarly unchartered territory.
“Being able to share ideas, experiences and be part of that network gave me the confidence I needed to take those scary next steps and determination I needed to keep going through tough times.”
Women and business owners are also invited to the Connect - Netwalking event at Princes Park on February 24 from 8.30am, where women can walk and talk in like-minded company.
TWO, the largest developer and deliverer of training and support for women in the UK, supported over 60,000 women and helped create more than 4,000 businesses since it’s launch in 1996.
For information visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-womens-organisation-1282675313
