Ellwood Atfield had the honour of hosting Centenary Action at our new Bloomsbury office for one of their business link events. It was a powerful evening of meaningful conversations and relevant insights to help drive important change.

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We were treated to inspiring and thought-provoking speeches from Dawn Butler MP, Rt Hon Dame Maria Miller, Sarah Olney MP, and Professor Helen Pankhurst CBE.

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If you’re not familiar with Centenary Action, they are a cross-party coalition of over 100 activists campaigning for women’s rights to be part of decisions that impact their lives. Established in 2018 by Professor Helen Pankhurst CBE, great-granddaughter of Emmeline, it’s inspired by the suffragettes and aims to achieve a gender-equal parliament by 2028. Currently, women make up 51% of the UK population but only 40% of Parliament - despite progress in recent elections there is work to be done. Increased representation is crucial for passing legislation that supports women’s rights.

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Centenary Action is working to increase women MPs, particularly those from diverse backgrounds who feel disconnected from the political process. If you have ideas about what you, your firm or groups of firms can do to progress the idea of linkages between women in the business and political worlds - with a cross-party perspective - please contact Jo Gibbons or Liz Speight. And sign up for Centenary Action’s quarterly newsletter via their website https://lnkd.in/ekYRgrSr.

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Hosting an event for them is a fantastic experience - we certainly had a fun and memorable evening. For those curious, our new office is in London’s historic publishing district, just around the corner from the British Museum and The Plough pub - where the suffragettes once held secret meetings!