CWN is one of the longest-standing women’s networks in the UK. From its intentional beginnings, today CWN remains committed to providing a secure, collegial environment where our members can grow their professional networks and allies and succeed through collaboration.

CWN and Oakleaf Collaboration event is a huge success! 12th November 2024

What an amazing event we had, in collaboration with our Corporate Partner, Oakleaf Partnership, discussing Balance in Business: What does Belonging mean to you?

The main themes that emerged were:

• Inclusion is what we do, but belonging is how people feel.  True belonging comes when individuals feel genuinely valued.
• Belonging is shaped by organisational culture, and it's crucial to design systems that align with values, ensuring everyone feels part of the fabric.
• When people feel they belong, they put in more discretionary effort, making belonging a business imperative.
• Fostering belonging is a shared responsibility, not just a leader's job. If we’re not consciously including, we risk unintentionally excluding.

CWN would like to extend a huge thank you to Colliers who hosted us at their beautiful offices in the West End.

Lady Macbeth Uncut: Panel Event - 19th Ocotber 2024

On Saturday, members of the cen board participated in a panel discussion following the performance of Lady Macbeth Uncut at the Drayton Arms Theatre, which presents the story of Macbeth from Lady Macbeth's perspective. The discussion explored various themes, including the significance of networks in fostering a sense of belonging and creating a safe, collegiate environment. Participants highlighted the concept of "cathartic normalization," while also emphasizing the importance of ensuring that men have space in these conversations to avoid an "us and them" mentality.

Supper Club - 18th September 2024

What a pleasure it was to spend the evening with some fabulous women at our City Women Network dinner, fuelled by delicious food at Imad’s Syrian kitchen, and covering every topic from skincare to UN Climate Week!

CWN Event at King's Business School - 4th September 2024

A big thank you to King's Business School for hosting such an excellent event last Wednesday in collaboration with us. Dr. Elisa Alt presented fascinating research on driving internal change within businesses and social intrapreneurship, followed by an insightful panel discussion featuring our President, Yvette Forrester, Sophia Kalpaka, and Hannah Awonuga. Special thanks to Eilidh Schatz and Martyna Czwartosz from KBS, and Robyn Baum from CWN, for organising the evening. It was a pleasure to connect with KBS alumni and reconnect with familiar faces from CWN.

The key takeaways were:

• Prioritise collaboration over heroism
• Leverage small wins to address complex challenges incrementally
• Integrate and empower social intrapreneurship as a core business strategy to achieve objectives, rather than treating it as a disposable initiative when times get tough.

CWN Summer Drinks - 4th July 2024

Thank you to all those who came to our Summer Drinks event at last week at Total Media's stunning offices in Soho.  The event was an incredible success, blending vibrant networking with a noble cause, whilst looking back at our achievements since last summer. The atmosphere was filled with laughter, camaraderie, and a shared sense of purpose as we proudly raised over £500 for Woman's Trust, contributing to their vital work supporting women affected by domestic violence.  

Summer City Walk - 11th June 2024

Wow! What a brilliant evening learning about women of the past and how they contributed to London as it stands today. A huge thanks to Karen Lansdown, who led our tour! 

The weather was not particularly summery but this did not dampen our spirits as wewere led through interesting alley ways and some of London's most famous landmarks. 

Empowering Women in Business - 10th June 2024

It was great to see so many wonderful women who joined us for our event in collaboration with Warwick Business School. Our expert panel led a fascinating discussion focused on empowering women in leadership and driving societal change. We explored the impact of excluding women from the creation of future technologies, highlighting how this affects adoption and accuracy, and emphasized the importance of media, education, and language in combating stereotypes and biases. We learned strategies to overcome self-doubt by viewing it as an opportunity for growth, embracing nervousness as a sign of imminent learning, and understanding that practice eases performance. Innovators were advised not to wait for perfection before sharing ideas, as an 80% solution is often sufficient to begin testing and refining. Lastly, we reminded everyone that analytical and creative thinking are essential cognitive skills, particularly as technology evolves, and encouraged maintaining a growth mindset through curiosity and lifelong learning. Thank you to Karen Barker as the panel chair, and to the inspiring panelists Vanessa Vallely OBE, Geraldine Gallacher, Susan Robson, Dawn Eubanks, and Shweta Singh for generously sharing their time to support others.

"Seriously Funny" - an event with The Comedy School - 15th May 2024

Last night's event at The Comedy School, focusing on the art of using humour in the workplace, was thoroughly enjoyable and enlightening. Laughter filled the room as attendees learned the power of humor as a tool for fostering creativity, building team camaraderie, and diffusing tension in professional settings.

The expert comedians shared invaluable insights, seamlessly blending entertainment with practical advice. Through hilarious anecdotes and interactive exercises, participants discovered the transformative potential of humor in enhancing workplace dynamics and fostering a positive, inclusive environment. 

Spring Supper Club - 2nd May 2024

Another amazing evening at our "Spring Supper Club" last night at The White Room Supper Club!  Delicious food and a group of wonderful women all in one room - what better way to brighten up a rainy Thursday evening?!
 

CWN AGM - New Board announced for 2024

The CWN Annual General Meeting was held via zoom yesterday, 24th April.  We looked back over the amazing achievements of 2023 as well as announcing our new board for 2024-2025.  

Congratulations to all those continuing in their roles and to all newly elected board members. To read about our Board members please click here.

An evening of luxury at John Lewis - 18th April 2024

Sometimes we just need a bit of time to invest in ourselves. Our "evening of luxury" event at by John Lewis & Partners at their flagship store on Oxford St was one of the most popular events we have ever hosted. It was such a treat to have demonstrations from Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Evolve Organic Beauty, Maison Francis Kurkdjian and insight from the John Lewis personal styling team. 

"I really enjoyed the Bobby Brown part of the event and the food was outstanding." CWN Member

International Women's Day Event - No more menemies: how we include men in the pursuit of gender equality - 6th March 2024

What a brilliantly inspiring event we held this morning at the stunning offices of Aspire for Equality . Our guest speaker, CWN Member Lori Meakin, discussed the key themes of her book as we explored how to include men in the pursuit of gender equality. What an amazing way to mark International Women's Day this year!

Indian Supper Club - 28th February 2024

Our Indian Supper Club at Mowgli Street Food in Fitzrovia was a resounding success.  It was lovely to see some new faces and enjoy some delicious Indian Food in the venue's rustic private room, adorned with fairy lights and mirrors.  Thank you so much to all who came!

Cocktails and Conversation! - 25th January 2024

Our first event of 2024 took place at Club Soda in Drury Lane and what a fabulous event it was!  The atmosphere was vibrant as participants immersed themselves in a non-alcoholic cocktail making class, showcasing the fascinating and creative world of alcohol-free mixology. The venue, with its chic and inviting ambiance, provided the perfect backdrop for our gathering.  Laughter, cheers, and newfound mixology skills filled the air, making it a night to remember.  Thank you to all who came!

A special festive supper club at Vinoteca!

Our last event of the year to wish 2023 a fond farewell was a special festive supper club at Vinoteca wine and food in Farringdon. We adorned our sparkles, pulled the crackers and had a truly delightful evening of enlightening conversations and delicious food.

Thank you to CWN committee members Helen Bunker and Nicky Barclay for hosting. Look out for what other supper clubs we have in store next year!

CWN Annual Autumn Drinks - 16th November 2023

Thank you to all who came to our Autumn Drinks at the beautiful venue, Canopy by Hilton! The atmosphere was a really lovely feeling of warmth and great conversations with a lot of new faces, which was fantastic to see! What was your favourite part? Tag us and mention us in your photos - we would love to see them! 

Me, Myself and AI - 8th November 2023

Me, Myself, and AI: Making AI Work for You, was an absolute triumph! The event, in collaboration with Oakleaf Partnership, was CWN's first ever hybrid event and was a thought provoking journey into the incredible world of AI, seamlessly blending insightful discussions, personal experiences and quality networking time.

Participants were treated to a wealth of knowledge on harnessing AI's potential for personal and professional growth. The dynamic panel shared practical insights, demystifying the complexities of AI and empowering attendees to integrate it into their lives. Special thanks to LendInvest who hosted the event and to CWN member Charlotte Wiseman, Events Strategy Committee Chair, for moderating.

“I attended in person but really liked option for virtual attendance. Very well paced and managed. Especially liked the "talk among yourselves/network" and live interaction throughout the session." CWN Member