London Bridge's Inspirational Women

To celebrate International Women's Day, London Bridge City and Team London Bridge asked the community to nominate women living and working in the area who have made a real difference throughout such a difficult year. We received so many incredible stories and together with an independent panel from Southwark Council, London Bridge Station (Network Rail) and Guys and St Thomas', a selection were chosen to feature on public display screens across the area. Find the full list below celebrating some of the amazing women making London Bridge a safe, diverse, and culturally exciting place.

Thank you to everyone who has taken part, both the women featured and those who came forward to share their stories.

Winnie Baffoe 

Winnie form the South London Mission in Bermondsey runs a support group for local mothers called Mummies Republic. 

“Winnie Baffoe from the South London Mission in Bermondsey is truly inspirational. Winnie runs a wonderful support group Mummies Republic. A group for mummies by mummies allowing women and their primary aged children, who ordinarily have with little or no wider social network, to meet weekly. The group’s purpose is to engage the vulnerable in the community through the provision of services to create opportunity during crisis. I do not know how Winnie has the hours in the day to do all she does.

Winnie asked me to write a book about the group. The book documents their stories, struggles with Universal Credit and includes their fears and over the pandemic. The book is called The Church Who Needs It? We Do? I would love you to consider Winnie as an inspirational woman and also to spread the word about the book. 

Jayne King 

Head of Security at GSTT and Chair of its LGBT+ Network, Jayne keeps patients, visitors and colleagues safe whilst also providing invaluable support. 

Jayne is Head of Security and Site Services for Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. For the last 20 years Jayne has had a critical role ensuring their patients visitors and colleagues remain safe. It is often a male dominated environment and as a fellow female it’s been fantastic to see Jayne head this team. London has experienced a number of major incidents over the last few years and Jayne has safely guided the Trust through those times. Over the last year her team has been integral in ensuring safety throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and also managing the security of five vaccination centres. 

Jayne is also the Founder and Co- Chair of the LGBT+ network at the Trust and has held this position for more than 13 years. She has provided invaluable support and confidence to many colleagues in that time. She was also key in promoting the NHS rainbow badge which started its life at Guy’s and St Thomas’! Chosen for her integrity and approachability, Jayne is also a Speak Up advocate for the Trust. This role provides staff an alternative way of discussing and raising concerns. 

Ensuring the safety of others on a daily basis as well as championing and supporting colleagues demonstrate Jayne’s nature and her ability to do all so well is truly inspiring!

As well as her roles at Guy’s and St Thomas’, Jayne became President of the National Association of Healthcare Security (NAHS) in November 2020. NAHS is about sharing information: “Each part of the NHS runs differently, NAHS gives people a chance to network, share good practice and come together as a united voice.”

 Jayne is also a Board member of the Security Commonwealth and in Spring 2021 will take the role of Chair. The Security Commonwealth is an umbrella organisation representing 40 security associations.

Elida Tona Reid

 The driving force of London Bridge City’s Security Team, Elida foes above and beyond to ensure visitors, residents and colleagues are safe. 

 “Elida is someone who whole-heartedly cares about her place of work. She has worked at London Bridge City for 16 years and has forged wonderful relationships with all in this time, and continues to do so today. She is pretty much the driving force of our team. She works tirelessly to manage all of this and sometimes I have to remind her to slow down, utilise her colleagues’ services more and to eat! She’s a perfectionist and an active communicator and this means that she always goes the extra mile for our occupiers, clients and colleagues alike, delivering with fine detail. Its no surprise that we continue to receive great feedback as she provides an unrivalled service. I would also like to add that Elida is also incredibly generous – probably the most generous person that I know!” 

Helena Mota and Eva Bernabe

During the pandemic, both Eva and Helena have worked tirelessly to ensure that London Bridge City is a clean space for visitors and residents alike. 

Both Helena and Eva have proved to be vital assets at London Bridge City and are truly inspirational for their unrivalled commitment through such a difficult yeat. 

They have both worked so hard to ensure London Bridge City is a safe and place to visit. 

 Eva and Helena have remained professional throughout and have been enthusiastic role models to their team, ensuring that their everyone has remained committed to delivering the highest standard of service, and have robustly followed strict sanitising regimes which have become second nature due to their leadership.

Sheila Taylor

Sheila recently took over a local community hall, the profits of which go towards community projects for disadvantaged families. 

Sheila chairs a local Tenants and Residents Association - Cherry Garden TRA. She also has taken over a local community hall from the council, marketing it and letting it out to make money which is then used to provide trips for disadvantaged families and elderly people in the community. 

 After feeling that young people were being neglected in the community, Sheila has worked tirelessly with Mac Ferrari from Bikestormz to support his work with young people. She has helped to get IT to young people who were without access alongside organising lunches and half term bike workshops. She is a real inspiration! 

Siena Beza

ECMO clinical nurse specialist, Siena is a constant source of guidance for her colleagues and has helped the team stay grounded during the pandemic. 

“Siena is an exemplary intensive care nurse in her chosen field. Siena is extremely noble and humble in her skill set. She always helps others with everything from clinical guidance and support to emotional reassurance. She is always the first person there when patients are deteriorating and is so kind and compassionate in nature. Siena leads her team with kindness and patience; you never feel embarrassed to ask a question. 

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the intensive care unit has been an incredibly difficult and emotional place.  People like Sienna are rare, and they are the people that keep the team grounded in times of unrest and uncertainty. She is the type of person you lean on and remember working with forever. I aim to emulate those qualities when I am a shift leader.

Eleanor Kelly

 Eleanor is the very approachable CEO of Southwark Council who supports local residents, and peers, through good times and bad.  

“Eleanor Kelly is the CEO of Southwark Council and her work in supporting the people of the borough, and London, over the last decade is truly inspirational. As well as the day job of running a hugely exciting inner London borough with some very real challenges, she is always willing to help others. She stepped in to support the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea following the Grenfell Tower disaster, and has supported the national efforts to combat COVID-19. Eleanor is very approachable with an open door policy for any member of staff who would like to speak to her. This helps all employees to feel valued and part of one council, working on behalf of the communities of Southwark”.

Deborah Ruddy 

During the pandemic, Deborah was deployed to the wards at St Thomas’ where she cared for patients whilst also continuing with her vital genomics work for GSTT. 

“Deborah has been working as a consultant at Guys and St Thomas’ (GSTT) Hospital since 2008. She specialise in genetic medicine. Most of the time she works as part of a team helping to deliver new genetic technology into the NHS which will ultimately revolutionise the way that we diagnose and treat all of our patients. During the pandemic Deborah was deployed and she is currently working on the critical care unit at St Thomas’ Hospital. We have utter respect for Deborah and all of those working in critical care – for their skill and for the kindness that they show to their patients and to each other. Inspirational!”

Ellie Beedham

As Director of Arts at Team London Bridge, Ellie has bought tons of fun, energy and originality to the area.

“We have all benefited from the amazing work that Ellie has done in and around London Bridge We have been impressed by Ellie’s skill in creating partnerships and building relationships with neighbouring and diverse organisations including our own. Her presence and projects have made a tangible difference to those of us who live and/or work in the area.

“Ellie is an amazing woman. She has uniquely brought fun, energy, participation and creative edginess to this business district by organising performing arts events, the like of which have never been seen in the area before. The events span all art forms, dance, music, opera, poetry, video, visual etc. Many invite public participation such us the Nelken Line dance, and there is something in there for everyone including families with young children. She opens our minds and puts a spring in our step, what a joy!”

Susan Isaacs 

“Susan teaches French, Italian, Spanish, German and Portuguese in London Bridge. Her classes are affordable and at times that are convenient for working people in the area. I study intermediate Italian during my lunch break on a Thursday with a small group of people who live and work in the area. The classes are fun. It’s one of the things I look forward to most in my week. Susan takes us out of our everyday lives and inspires us to speak a foreign language, to discuss other cultures and places and helps us forget about our everyday problems. I often sit in on advanced French just for the fun of it! My friends, daughter and nephew have joined her classes on my recommendation and we are all agreed. It’s so important to do something creative and different, even if it’s only for an hour a week. It is things like this that enrich and enliven what could otherwise be a rather humdrum corporate area of London. She runs so many classes and remains interested, and energetic. She is the best person who I think contributes to our wonderful area.”

Fanny Dulin 

“Fanny Dulin is the executive director of Exchange Theatre. She is also a workshop leader in languages and drama in local schools. Fanny has set up, applied and received funding for a project she’s leading in both Tower Bridge and Snowsfields primary schools to teach all the classes, at all levels, the French language through drama. She has designed and implemented the whole technique and pedagogical method herself. Southwark is the most diverse borough in the UK and Fanny noticed that often bilingual parents neglected their mother-tongue at home with the to focus on English as a way to blend in. Through her workshops, Fanny puts back the language at the centre of their life as a richness and a right to communicate orally with any spoken language. I think this needs recognition.”

Janet Morris 

“Janet Morris is a local inspirational woman. Whilst being the Chair of Shad Thames Area Management Partnership (STAMP, www.loveshadthames.org), which provides local businesses, residents and the council with a collaborative platform, Janet is known well beyond the Shad Thames area. Her skills to establish trusted connections and seek pro-active engagement on a variety of issues have been helping the local stakeholders including in the London Bridge area to work closely together and achieve positive results. Janet’s energetic and enthusiastic approach inspires anyone who comes across her. 

Prema Mehta

Prema joined the Unicorn Board of Trustees in December 2020. Sheis a Lighting Designer for the theatre. Prema has designed the lighting for over 200 productions and works across the UK. At the Unicorn, she’s designed the lighting for two of most successful Christmas productions. She is also the founder of Stage Sight, an organisation committed to creating an offstage workforce that is more reflective of our society today: inclusive of ethnicity, class and disability. She is passionate about seeing better representation in behind-the-scenes roles in theatre - from stage management to theatre technicians to members of the creative team. Stage Sight has built a network of 100 cultural organisations keen to share ideas and best practice to achieve this goal.

Dr Monica Walker 

Dr Monica Walker, from The Old Operating Theatre. She is a big advocate of the venue and its history – something that’s very important in an area that’s quickly changing. 

Bridget Jackson (two nominations) 

Bridget Jackson presided over a decade of climate action in PwC - our More London office is in SE1 and lives on Tyer's Gate. She doesn't have a wikipedia page I am afraid but PwC increased revenues 67% since 2007 and simultaneously reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 60% (full story - released last Friday -  here: pwc.co.uk/decouplingourcarbon) 

Chief Sustainability Officer @ PwC – currently on secondment as Business Engagement Lead supporting the High Level Climate Champions to accelerate the #RaceToZero & #RaceToResilience campaigns in the critical months leading up to COP26. As a result of her passionate work, PwC is now a recognised leader in tackling its carbon footprint and in applying the principles of the circular economy to its business.

Bridget is a regular speaker on best practice in sustainability, and has shared the lessons from over a decade of work to help companies accelerate the transition to a more sustainable economy in two 10 Years of Lessons Learned reports.1 2 She has helped raised awareness of the climate and ecological crisis facing us, through a new film inspired by the Our Planet Netflix series3. Bridget is a Fellow of The Marketing Society and the Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, a former Business in the Community gamechanger and commissioner of the London Sustainable Development Commission.

Kimberly Speyer 

Throughout what has been an incredibly challenging year, both professionally and personally, Kimberly has truly been an inspiration to those around her.  She has remained upbeat and supportive during the significant changes to her team, rolling her sleeves up and helping her colleagues and the wider team to deliver a safe and secure environment for those returning to work. Whilst her personal life has been impacted by our new world, she has merely dusted herself off and embraced new activities whilst letting the rest of us have our ‘moments’ but not allowing us to wallow for too long! Oh and recommending some great Netflix shows! I am glad that she has been on the end of a phone for me on more than one occasion and believe she needs to know how valuable she is.

Ellen Beer 

For the last five years Ellen Beer, from the Security Team at London Bridge City has ensured that the admin/pay/holidays/uniform/equipment and a multitude of other issues are dealt with the utmost professionalism. She has, in that time, also become the teams “agony aunt”. Officers feel that they can discuss pretty much anything with her and at any time. Ellen goes out of her way to listen to any issues or probelms her colleagues may be experiencing even out of work time. Ellen is exceedingly giving of her time, energy. We all know we can lean on her for pretty much anything and she will always assist with a smile and a chuckle. Nothing is ever too much for her. Without Ellen, the London Bridge City Security Team just would not function. I can confidently speak for every member of the security team when I say “Ellen, thank you for all that you do”. 

Roberta Sarpaliute

Since Roberta’s first day she has played a pivotal role in London Bridge City’s Cleaning Team. She manages the sanitising and cleaning across the estate and throughout the Covid19 Pandemic. Roberta has worked closely with the wider teams and has proactively striven for improvements to help support her staff as they have gone through personal troubling times during the pandemic. 

Juliana Ochular

Juliana Ochular is a headache Clinical Nurse Specialist both at St Thomas and National Neurology Hospitals. Julia provides care to a demanding population who often need emergency treatment. Patients who suffer from chronic headache often have a range of other physical and mental health problems. Julia always treats her patients with compassion and she really does change their lives. I believe everyone should hear all the stories of lives changed by Juliana. 

Steph Williamson

 Steph joined the Trust last summer moving from Great Ormond Street Hospital where she led the design of their Children’s Cancer Centre.  Steph is now leading the way for exciting developments at the Trust and most importantly, Steph is passionate about making sure the patient experience is at the heart of everything she does. Steph’s current projects are significant for the Trust and for children and young people across the south east . Her passion and values are shared throughout her team making sure projects delivered at the Trust are wholly centred around the needs of the patient. Steph’s journey from a radiographer to leading the way as  Director of Design and Development is inspiring and shows that your career can be whatever you set your mind to. Steph is a fantastic example of being a leader in her field.

Debbie Monckton

 Debbie is an inspirational leader in our Trust. Having started her career in the NHS over 20 years ago in the catering kitchens. Debbie is now the Community Site Director. There are many people in the Directorate who see Debbie as a role model for her successful career progression, and her passion to strive for the best. She continuously demonstrates the Trust’s values and champions the development of others and centres everything on the patient experience. Not only is Debbie making change happen in our community services, she has made a difference to our Community colleagues by improving their engagement and making sure they feel part of the Guy’s and St Thomas’ family. Debbie is someone who inspires our colleagues and supports them on their own journey.

Sadie Morgan

Sadie Morgan is a founding director of architecture practice dRMM, based in Tooley Street. She champions good design for London and for national projects through her role as a national infrastructure commissioner. She has been named New Londoner of the Year and Female Architectural Leader of the Year, and was awarded an OBE for her design advocacy in the built environment.