Newcastle High alumnae and friends celebrate the achievements of women

Thanks to the generous donation of parents of an alumna’s for an annual prize, NHSG has been celebrating the outstanding achievement of trailblazing women across the years through an exciting competition for our very own future trailblazers.

The International Women’s Day Prize encourages girls at NHSG to submit entries about the female they felt has done the most to empower girls and advance women’s rights in the last 100 years.

We were delighted to welcome Mrs Vane, the prize donor, and alumna Helen Dalby to judge and present the prizes to the girls at a special event on International Women’s Day.

NHSG girls had submitted a superb range of films, poems, essays and dance choreography. Some were of women that most will have heard of and others were modern day change-makers.

Connie Hayward, Year 9, was crowned the winner for her moving entry on suffragette Lady Constance Lytton. Connie, also a talented violinist who was recently awarded a coveted prize from the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music, produced a 6-minute film with a moving soundtrack, about the life and work of the Constance, an influential suffragette activist.

Other winners in the competition included an emotive dance in honour of ‘Every Woman’ that has contributed to women’s rights, a poster and essay on the achievements of sailor Susie Goodhall, and a beautiful poem on Civil Rights Movement pioneer, Claudette Colvin, who refused to give up her seat to a white woman on a crowded, segregated bus.

As part of our IWD event, Helen Dalby, who is now Senior Editor and Head of Digital at Reach plc which includes the Chronicle, Journal and Gazette, also spoke to the girls about how her education has shaped her climb to success in what is a very male dominated field.

We only need to look to our own alumnae for so many inspiring stories women who are making their mark on the world. If you would like to share your story, or the story of another alumna, then please get in touch with Janice Graves, Director of Marketing. j.graves@ncl.gdst.net