International Women’s Day 2026 – A Reflection
🟣 Supporting equitable access to education, services and opportunities
🟣 Challenging the systemic barriers that hold women and girls back
We asked Val Hart, our former Deputy CEO, to tell us more about the impact Together St Paul’s has had on the lives of women in Balsall Heath over the years. This is what Val had to say…
“Together St Paul’s has always been a strong supporter of women’s rights. In 1989, Anita Halliday took over as CEO with me as her Deputy. We both stayed in those roles until retirement in 2016. In these years, St Paul’s became one of the leading voluntary organisations in the city and one of the very few led by women.
It’s noteworthy that Gil Coffin became Chair of the St Paul’s Board of Trustees in 1979 and also stayed in this role for over 40 years. We were all committed to working with and for the women of Balsall Heath, as so many of our services had such an impact on their lives.
The Sure Start programme of the year 2000 was a major step forward, but only achieved despite opposition from some health officials who complained that there were ‘not enough suits around the table.’
St Paul’s always aimed to work in partnership with others and support smaller local organisations – such as Including Women!, a women’s group that Anita and I founded in 1996. We set up the group when we discovered that the new SRB Board for the area was entirely composed of men. It was a campaigning group, and we were given some recognition as an Advisory Group, but no place on the Board.
Including Women! became an effective and influential network organisation, running women’s conferences, training and events of all kinds. Special topics included domestic violence, environmental health and caseload midwifery. Our magazine, Womenzone, ran from 2002 to 2014.”
Thank you, Val, for sharing your story! We are proud of the female-led legacy which Together St Paul’s holds and remain committed to ensuring every woman and girl in Balsall Heath has the opportunity to thrive.
