Hull Daily Mail

Inspiring women who shone bright in

THE BOLD AND BRILLIANT WOMEN WHOSE TRIUMPHS INSPIRED US THIS YEAR

- By SUSIE BEEVER susie.beever@reachplc.com @Susiemayjo­urno

IT must be something in the water, but Hull is lucky to have some bold and brilliant women. The health and wealth of our country currently depends on key workers, and with three fifths of them women, according to Government data, it’s time we celebrated this.

From legendary local icons, fierce local campaigner­s to NHS heroes here are just some of the women in Hull and the East Riding whose names deserve a shout-out after an incredibly tough year.

1 Jean Bishop

Most well-known as Hull’s Bee Lady, universall­y loved Jean Bishop passed away in 2021 at the age of 99 after raising thousands of pounds for charity over the years.

Often spotted in her famous costume, Bee Lady Jean collected around £124,000 for Age UK by fundraisin­g on the streets.

Described by Hull City Council Leader Daren Hale as a “force to be reckoned with”, Jean’s achievemen­ts knew no ends, having been awarded Freedom of the City, a 2013 Pride of Britain Award and a British Empire Medal from the Queen, to name a few.

Jean also previously carried the Olympic torch in the run-up to the London games in 2012, and in 2018 a specialist care centre for the elderly in Hull was named in her honour, the Jean Bishop Integrated Care centre.

2 Dianne Backhouse

Specialist liver nurse Dianne was presented with Nurse of the Year Award for her dedication in helping liver disease patients.

The inspiring nurse created a new system of clinics, procedures and training to help improve services for liver disease patients when she began her job at Hull Teaching Hospitals nearly four years ago.

As well as clinical patient care, the passionate nurse goes the extra mile and carries out education and training with patients’ families, relatives and health profession­als both locally and nationally.

“It has all been very successful and I now provide support to other NHS trusts wanting to provide similar services so there are more people like me,” she said.

3 Sam Barlow

Quite literally an unsung hero, East Yorkshire mum Sam Barlow was presented with an iconic Sports Personalit­y of the Year Award by none other than Gary Lineker.

The Fitmums & Friends founder created the initiative after her eldest child started school as a way for more women to connect through exercise, using her love of running to meet other mums in her home village of Cottingham.

Many followers of Fitmums & Friends took to social media to offer their congratula­tions to Sam, who sadly lost her husband, Mike, to a very rare form of cancer in October 2020 after a 13-year battle with the disease. 4

Whether from chemothera­py or alopecia or other medical reasons, any woman knows how traumatic it can be to lose a full head of hair.

Jess Smedley

But when this happened to Hull mum Jess Smedley, she used her experience to do something positive by opening one of the city’s first hair loss clinics.

Jess has suffered with alopecia an autoimmune disease which results in hair loss - all her life, trying various remedies before finally finding a way to achieve her own luscious head of hair.

During lockdown, the trained hairdresse­r decided it was time to make a difference and set up her own clinic at LUX Hair, Beauty and Aesthetics in Anlaby.

“When lockdown came it really put things into perspectiv­e,” she said.

“I am a trained hairdresse­r and although I love my job, it was time to make a difference and lockdown really made me realise that.”

5 Hannah Pawley

Driffield chef Hannah Pawley took her former employer to court in 2021 after she was sacked for missing work while suffering from an ectopic pregnancy two years prior - and won.

The 34-year-old spoke out after winning a payout off the back of the ruling, in which it was found she’d been illegally dismissed from her job at Hanley’s Restaurant in the East Yorkshire town.

Hannah was receiving treatment for the ectopic pregnancy at the time, which can result in the mother’s death or severe illness if left untreated.

Speaking after the ruling, Hannah said: “If any other women find

themselves in this situation, I’d say, if you can, fight. If you have a gut feeling you’re being treated wrong, then you probably have.”

6 Jennifer Gilmour

Hull mum Jennifer Gilmour has bravely spoken out multiple times about her escape from an abusive relationsh­ip in which she had to ask permission to use the toilet.

Jennifer, 33, was gaslighted and verbally manipulate­d by her former partner who isolated her from her loved ones.

She now uses her past experience to help other victims and survivors of abuse, and is an ambassador for the National Centre for Domestic Violence.

Relentless and inspiring, she’s currently working on launching a children’s book to educate young people about healthy relationsh­ips.

7 All our female NHS staff and key workers

Last but certainly by no means least, our essential workers continue to inspire us every day with their dedication and strength as we battle the Covid-19 pandemic.

Keeping their cool under unimaginab­le workloads and pressures - with some NHS staff braving their jobs despite witnessing traumatic events on Hull’s hospital wards - our key workers truly deserve a place on this list.

From train drivers to teachers, posties to porters in hospitals and carers to checkout workers - these women soldier on despite extremely tough times.

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 ?? ?? Dianne Backhouse, centre, was announced as Nurse of the Year at the Times Nurse Awards 2021
Dianne Backhouse, centre, was announced as Nurse of the Year at the Times Nurse Awards 2021
 ?? ?? Hull nurse Amy Carberry
Hull nurse Amy Carberry
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