Category: News

Ladies celebrating triumph over adversity will be sharing their uplifting stories in a bid to inspire other women at an event in Leamington soon.

The Raise Up Conference, organised again by the Leamington Soroptimists,

will hear from leading lights in the worlds of business, advocacy and charity whilst also fundraising for local causes.

Their deeply personal tales will touch on a host of topics, from physical and mental health challenges, through to overcoming addiction, loss, trauma and domestic abuse.

All proceeds from the day, on September 14^th, will support Safeline, Navigating Margaret – Arts Uplift.

The event is the latest passion project of Soroptimists President – and Leamington podcaster and author – Catherine Williamson, whose Gobsmacked! Podcast is also dedicated to celebrating inspirational life stories, and has now been heard in more than 123 countries.

Of the conference, she said: “As Soroptimists, we are dedicated to raising up the lives of women and girls locally, nationally, and globally. It’s all about giving back to our community in the spirit of service. And our next event is a very special one.

“Each speaker has transformed their hardships into strength and faced significant personal challenges. This conference aims to provide attendees with inspiration, hope, and practical insights through the personal experiences of our speakers. It will shine a light on how we can triumph over adversity; our speakers’ stories raising up our own lives with insights, hope, wit and wisdom.”

Following the success of last year, businesses are again being invited to sponsor a place at the conference for female members of their team.

Catherine added: “As a business, investing in a sponsorship for the Raise Up Conference is more than just a ticket—it’s an opportunity to inspire and catalyse the next generation of leaders and volunteers in our community.

“By sponsoring a place for a woman, you’re not only providing her with access to inspiration and practical tools, but also investing in the future of our local workforce and community. Last year we were delighted to welcome 34 women through sponsorship. Let’s come together again to raise up and equip those who will drive positive change in the years to come.”

Compered by Catherine, inspirational keynote speakers throughout the day are:

Hetti Barkworth-Nanton CBE, from Wiltshire

Chair of Refuge’s Board of Trustees since 2020, Hetti has been an active campaigner raising awareness around domestic abuse and the criminal justice system since her best friend, Joanna Simpson, was killed by her estranged husband.

Hetti is also the founder and former Chair of the Joanna Simpson Foundation, alongside Jo’s mother, Diana Parkes, to raise awareness and protect children affected by domestic violence.

Last year they both received a CBE for their services to people affected by domestic abuse and domestic homicide and were awarded a Pride of Britain Special Recognition Award.

Adrianne Carter, from Lichfield

Adrianne is an internationally recognised body language expert, consumer psychology specialist and corporate trainer specialising in emotional intelligence, facial expressions, and non-verbal communication.

With over 20 years of experience, she has worked with global brands, security professionals, and corporate leaders to help them enhance interpersonal communication and create impactful brand visuals. She has received industry recognition for pioneering security training on recognising mental health signs through facial expressions and body language.

Lorie-Lanie Shanks, from Leamington

Lorie-Lanie Shanks is a storyteller, speaker and filmmaker whose healing journey after her father’s suicide and her own struggles with gambling addiction, inspired her to help others.

Her Kundalini yoga and Buddhist studies are the tools that helped her rebuild her inner strength and sense of purpose. They are also the spiritual foundations which inform her creative work, including her recent documentary project, Yogis of Ukraine—a film that sheds light on the power of yoga and mindfulness in supporting wounded soldiers and civilians in war-torn Ukraine.

Kim Madill, from West Bromwich

Chief Superintendent in West Midlands Police and the commander for Sandwell Local Policing Area, Kim’s experience spans 28 years, including leading teams in Public Protection, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism.

In 2004 she was pivotal to the creation of West Midlands Association for Women in Policing and is currently the strategic female lead on the West Midlands Police Superintendents Association. She also recently completed 10 years’ service to a local charity who delivered trauma-informed interventions to children.

Nicky Pattinson, from Yorkshire

A successful businesswoman and international speaker, Nicky straight talks with humour and heart about the lessons she’s learned in both her personal and professional life, including love, loss and resilience.

The audience will also hear a video message from, among others, Javina Greene, from Birmingham.

Music, dance, and the performing arts became a lifeline for Javina who endured an abusive relationship, drug addiction, and sexual exploitation. Determined to use her story and music to empower other women and demand better support systems, she became a public speaker and released a five-track EP No More Silence which channels her journey and inspires change.

Also via video is Coventry’s Julie White, the owner of D-Drill & Sawing which has branches across the UK and Susan Rasmussen, from Leamington, who will discuss her role as both an environmentalist and High Sheriff of Warwickshire.

Last year’s Raise Up conference proceeds of more than £3kfunded a defibrillator for the Our Jay Foundation, based in Rugby as well as five wheelchairs for Kathmandu in partnership with New Futures Nepal.

Raise Up takes place at The Fold in Leamington. Tickets, which include a light lunch, are available at an early bird price of £40 until July 31^st, and then £50, available via HERE.

For more information about Leamington Soroptimists visit HERE.

Two of a Leamington distiller’s best-selling gins are now even more accessible following their launch of the new ready-to-drink cans range.

Warwickshire Gin Company’s award-winning signature drinks, Leamington On Parade and Philosopher’s Daughter are among the first in the country to offer an authentic gin serving as opposed to ‘flavoured alcohol’ in a can.

The 250ml offering – at 7%ABV and a cost of £4.50 – mark the latest chapter of growth for distiller David Blick who established Warwickshire Gin Company in 2018.

David said: “We’ve chosen our two most popular gins to can which also have quite contrasting flavour profiles. As far as we’re aware there aren’t any other craft drink brands canning their product in this way. It’s just all the big boys, which you can only get in the supermarkets.”

“We want to give people on the move a different way to drink Warwickshire gin, eg. at festivals, picnics, train journeys etc. It makes it easier to drink on the go because you don’t need to carry the bottle or bottle opener or receptacle to pour it in.

“The market is really large for RDTs (ready to drinks) now, although, after lots of our own market research, we’ve noticed the quality is generally quite poor. What makes us unique is that we are making it with proper gin rather than gin-flavoured alcohol as most of the others seem to do. This opens up a totally new way to drink proper gin for new clientele.”

The inspiration behind the drinks collection comes from a desire to capture a moment in history, developing flavours to fully represent the county’s own unique story and bringing the range of hand-crafted flavours to life.

Leamington on Parade is a lightly spiced blend with Ceylon tea, cinnamon and hibiscus and is inspired by Sam Lockhart, the famous elephant trainer, who lived in Leamington Spa from the late 1800’s until his death in 1933. In that time he trained and imported several elephants from Ceylon and became the foremost elephant trainer in the world. His most famous troupe were three female elephants Wilhelmina, Trilby and Haddie, known collectively as the Three Graces.

His elephants entertained Queen Victoria and were kept, at times, in Leamington Spa in the 1880s and 1890s when he was home from his various international shows. There are several references to Lockhart’s elephants across Leamington.

The Philosopher’s Daughter recipe has been infused with a selection of flavours carefully chosen to honour the daughter of one of the most revered Philosophers of the Elizabethan age, including Rosehip Peel, Rose Petals, Apple and Cherries.

It is inspired by John Dee, one of Queen Elizabeth I’s most trusted advisors – and his daughter Kathrine. Dee was tasked with many requests, which led him to make many discoveries, one of which was the distillation of alcohol. Kathrine would have carefully selected many of the botanicals for her father to fulfil his works, until his death at the age of 81 years.

Elizabeth I encouraged her nobles and courtiers to construct countless ‘Knot Gardens’ in order to equip the alchemists and philosophers with their quests. The most romantic Knot Garden of that time was the ‘privy paradise’ that Robert Dudley created at Kenilworth Castle, for a three-week celebration to court Her Majesty.

Other gins that form the collection are: The Kingmaker, named after Richard Neville 16^th Earl of Warwick; Peeping Tom, inspired by the legend of Coventry’s Lady Godiva; Pelota Dry Gin, inspired by Spanish Merchant named Juan Augurio Perera who invented lawn tennis and opened the world’s first Lawn Tennis Club in Leamington in 1873.

Any cafes/retailers looking to stock these ready to drink cans is invited to contact: dave@warwickshiregincompany.co.uk

More About Warwickshire Gin Company

The distillery also offers popular visitor experiences – Gin Tasting, Cocktails at The Distillery and their new Afternoon Gin & Tea plus a range of build-your-own branded gift bundles, including spirits, goblet, mixers and gin or rum-infused chocolates.

WGC shot to the envied top spot on TA thanks to 80 five-star reviews from visitors. Internationally it’s also made its mark, achieving the “Traveller’s Choice Award” which puts the Warwickshire distillery in the top 10% of businesses listed in the world based on reviews.