Hello – This is Me
After over 12 years of running Network She, I thought it was about time I introduced myself
Hi, I am Ruth, Ruth Lloyd-Williams, founder of Network. This is me with my daughter Rhian who has been the inspiration behind Network She since its launch in September 2007
Having never had any youthful aspirations to own my own business, no one is more surprised than I (and possibly Mrs George, my old form teacher) that I now own not one, but two successful businesses. I currently spend the bulk of my time supporting members of the business community via Network She and the Power House and the rest facilitating educational study days and conferences for Healthcare Professionals from across North Wales and the North West via Co & Associates
Careers advice was a contradiction in terms when I was at school. To even suggest there was such a word as entrepreneur would have been greeted with utter dismay by Mrs George and the majority of the teaching staff at St Paul’s Secondary Modern
Office work, catering or nursing weren’t the career paths for me- I wanted to join the Navy. I wanted to be a helicopter mechanic on aircraft carriers, and this was well before the days of Top Gun.
In 1981, I was assured by the recruitment officers of the RAF and the Royal Navy, that girls didn’t go into, and never would be in such roles in the armed forces, girls should work in the kitchen, an office or tend to the needs of the sick and injured. Therefore, I declined the offer of signing nine years of my life away for one in uniform, moving to HMS Dauntless (how apt) to do something I could do from home.
I went on an engineering course, where I spent the three months of the course being told by the tutor, in no uncertain terms and none too politely, that “girls don’t do engineering” – that I should “get a job in an office”- more importantly it appeared, as he repeatedly told me “boys don’t like girls that smell of Swarfega” so I would never get a boyfriend! I can assure you that girls don’t like the smell of Swarfega either. At 17 I left home and moved to North Wales.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and I have come to realise over the years that my true motivation for wanting to join the Navy has more to do with the fact that I appear to have a thing for men in uniform. Had I joined the Navy it would have been a very short lived, yet colourful career, well documented in the News of the World
In September 2007 I launched Network She which supports women professionally, personally, socially and emotionally. Twelve years on and a lot has changed, some for the better, yet frustratingly there is still so much to do and to achieve. Network She has recently played a part in developing the new Welsh Assembly Government guidelines, supporting female entrepreneurs in Wales. Moving forward Network She will be the driving force ensuring that there is a balance of support in North Wales
In addition to supporting women in business, in 2013 the Network She Foundation was formed. A fully registered charity giving the opportunity to extend the focus on empowering women and young girls in sport, education and employment. The Women in Sport North Wales Conference will roll out for the third year on 23rdJune 2020 at Adventure Parc Snowdonia. The annual Fizzy Friday 5k on 11thSeptember 2020 will see 200 women blow the dust off their trainers with Prosecco powered fundraising to supply kit, equipment, training and pitch fees for women, girls and community sport and activity groups across North Wales
Network She are also thrilled to be one of the founding Executive Members of the recently formed Power House. An exciting new initiative contacting, connecting, communicating and collaborating with other key stakeholder businesses – because after all – together we are stronger
I look forward to meeting you and wish you an exciting, prosperous and fun filled 2020
Best Wishes
Ruth x
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