World of Difference - Women of Influence

A Personal Donation to Help Tees Women Make a Difference

Tees Valley businesswoman Christine York is donating herself to local charity A WAY OUT to help launch a network of passionate, dynamic and influential women who will have an impact in the Tees Valley by creating high profile opportunities for women all across the area to make a difference in innovative, exciting and creative ways.

Christine, who runs the people development company The Ambition Academy, has been part funded by the Vodafone Foundation to spend eight weeks setting up the project with Jessie Jacobs, award-winning founder of A WAY OUT.

Having encountered the life changing work of A WAY OUT, Christine donated some of her professional time to coach clients of A WAY OUT in 2008, then in November last year, Christine was encouraged by Jessie to enter the Vodafone Foundation's Donate Yourself To Charity competition and won one of 500 placements.

The funding will allow Christine to join Jessie to work on the establishment of the Women of Influence network, driven forward for and on behalf of Tees Valley-based A WAY OUT, (At Risk Woman And Youth Outreach).

Jessie explains: "Women of Influence is all about identifying those women in the area who have the potential to make a significant difference in the lives of other women and young people in the Tees Valley area. We will be carefully selecting and inviting various women of influence to join the movement, some may be people you have heard about in the media, or they could be people who go under the radar but are in positions where they can make an impact. There is no current network for this in the Tees Valley and I think it is vital that we bring such people together."

The initial process will involve bringing together a steering group of around 10 women to be pioneers of the network, they will then choose and invite other women to become members. There are potentially some exceptionally exciting opportunities available to women in the network, including TV/radio and media publicity, visits to women's projects in other countries, high profile and exclusive fundraising events, and challenging sponsorship activities.

Christine added: "I first met Jessie when I was looking for a charity to donate some Pantomime Theatre tickets, using money we would have spent on corporate Christmas cards. I was immediately impressed by this young women's passion and drive for A WAY OUT and also her excellent business savvy and I asked her how else we could help. From then we have invested our time donating our coaching to stakeholders and members of the team."

"A key part of A WAY OUT is giving women a voice and Jessie herself has made a real difference to the lives of many through her work in the region and I am convinced there are many more like her across the Tees Valley."

Jessie added: "As well as being part-funded by the Vodafone Foundation, Christine is personally investing in her time with us over this eight week period. Her voluntary work during 2009 was invaluable, which is why I felt she was worthy of being entered into the competition, and I am convinced that with her drive we can make a real difference by establishing the Women of Influence network."