A Pat on the Back

I’m ‘awarding’ myself a great big pat on the back for getting through last year!  I’m older, wiser and a wee bit wobblier for the experience and super grateful to the amazing Funny Women Team, our board of non-exec directors and volunteers who do so much to buoy me up and keep everything going.  2022 was particularly tough but punctuated with some incredible highs.

As ever, I’m late to the bloomin’ party with the New Year wishes but here’s to you and yours. May it be a year blessed with good health, prosperity and, of course, FUN! There’s always plenty of this in store so if you would like some ideas or suggestions in terms of your personal and professional development or some activity in your workplace, please get in touch. We always have lots in store and very happy to share it with you!

At the risk of appearing self-indulgent (it’s all part of that big pat on the back) I’m sharing a few of my 2022 highlights before I tackle 2023:
 
I was super proud to host the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Awards South East England (pictured above) which, as it turns out, was a good warm up for my upcoming role as North Kent lead. I start my tenure with immediate effect and look forward to sharing insights with fellow small business owners locally and nationally.

Being featured as a ‘TGI Game Changer’ for the launch of The Gender Index.  This was such an honour and supports my work with the All Party Parliamentary Group, Women and Enterprise APPG where we have produced two special reports.

Filming with Jo Brand, our Funny Women ‘Matron’. Always such a pleasure and Jo is so generous with her time and support. Catch my interviews with her on our YouTube channel and with our outgoing Awards Co-ordinator Carmen Mackey (pictured above, centre) who will be sorely missed as she explores her creativity beyond the realms of Funny Women. We wish her luck and love.

Running my Stand Up to Stand Out comedy workshops at my favourite venue, the Groucho Club where I am a founder member no less! The next workshop takes place on Saturday 22nd April is already on sale here and we have the return of our Comedy Crash Course later this month, Monday 30^th January to Friday 3^rd February. Hot cakes, selling and all that so book if you don’t want to miss out.

Hosting some fantastic corporate workshops with clients including Ogury and Havas Lynx (pictured above). Part of the fun is being in their actual workspaces and getting insights into their business culture and practices. Big love to the folks at Havas Lynx who made this fantastic short film about the workshop I ran for them at their HQ in Manchester.

Enjoying a last minute ‘flying’ visit to Edinburgh Festival Fringe with some good friends and having the time and space to see some wonderful comedy, including our 2021 Funny Women Stage Award winner Lara Ricote (pictured below) who bagged herself another award as Edinburgh Fringe Best Newcomer. Reviews a plenty here on the website.

Celebrating at the GALA FINAL of the 2022 Funny Women Awards – another incredible year o showcasing new talent so the standard is already set high for 2023. To see what you missed, check out the programme and you can watch the full show here courtesy of our amazing streaming partner NextUp Comedy using code FUNNYWOMEN5 for a discount on your membership.

Being awarded as an MP Hero by my local MP Kelly Tolhurst – thanks to Savvitas and NatWest Business for this honour. Check out Meet The HERoes to see the company I keep!

Being featured in an article by the unstoppable Amy Kean in Shots.net and examining my brain through the medium of cartoon!  I used to draw a lot so may take it up again!

Launching our new live event workplace format, HOW TO HAVE FUN AT WORK featuring a winning combo of workshops, discussion and comedy was a real highlight! With thanks to Grey London for hosting the event for us at the fabulous Rose Court and especially their incredible CCO Laura Jordan Bambach for keeping the faith! Missed all the fun? Check out the full programme here and look out for details of our next event in May.

Being invited to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the BBC’s 100 Women as a past ‘laureate’ along with some other familiar faces (pictured below) – Funny Women NED Rachel Creeger and fellow laureates Shazia Mirza and Kate Smurthwaite.

Partying and networking with some amazing partner organisations such as Sister Snog who had us all dressed up as a host of ‘heavenly angels’! I’ve never underestimated the power of the sisterhood and we offer deals and discounts to over 60 different membership and social organisations – want some of this?  Please get in touch.

And there was so much more of course! I’ve hardly scratched the surface. I try to post quite regularly on my personal socials so follow me if you don’t already and please check out my ‘back catalogue’ on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Goals for this year? More writing (in between funding applications), a new season of my HOW TO HAVE FUN AT WORK podcast, and to ‘mistress’ (why is it always ‘master’?) one of the design apps so that I can create wonderful images – don’t hold your breath but watch this space anyway!