What's Next? For Women

What's Next? For Women A friendly community for women in Torbay to create meaningful friendships, through learning, doing, sharing and connecting through hands-on experiences.

Hands up if you'd like our high streets to be thriving and the sort of places we love to visit? 🤚My LinkedIn post, artic...
12/03/2026

Hands up if you'd like our high streets to be thriving and the sort of places we love to visit? 🤚

My LinkedIn post, article and Laura Harris's post (link in the comments) will be relevant to anyone with their hand up.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/annagailleaman_highstreetpositives-highstreets-community-activity-7437844682635833346-P1UJ?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=android_app&rcm=ACoAAABxM2UBZxeLZTRufddtKskL7v5Hr1RpwD8&utm_campaign=copy_link

These are really tough times for businesses where the figures no longer add up, require different approaches, fresh thinking and collaboration.

(And yes I've also shared this with people from our local authority, developers, press etc.)

What's Next? For Women is about creating spaces for developing meaningful friendships, but also supporting our local businesses and charities, taking our events to venues across the Bay.

“What about the men?”It’s a question that sometimes pops up when people hear about What’s Next? For Women.And honestly… ...
11/03/2026

“What about the men?”

It’s a question that sometimes pops up when people hear about What’s Next? For Women.

And honestly… it’s a fair one.

If you’re reading this and thinking there should be a group in Torbay where men can get together, try different activities, have a laugh and naturally build friendships, I’d genuinely love to see that happen.

I’d happily share some ideas about how something similar could work for men.

In the meantime, I’m also grateful for the many men who support the women in their lives. To them, this quote makes perfect sense.

💛 And to the women reading this… who are the men you’re grateful for? It's time to name and shame (celebrate) them in the comments below!

Maybe what we need now is space to pause and think. It's not easy to get this though is it?I met Claire Platt recently a...
10/03/2026

Maybe what we need now is space to pause and think. It's not easy to get this though is it?

I met Claire Platt recently and she shared details with me of her fantastic Clarity Day for Devon Women Leaders. It's next week - 18th March, and it's all about reflecting, resetting and realigning what matters in life and leadership.

Anyway I was thinking about you... and wondering if you would be interested in a What’s Next? For Women style session with Claire here in Torbay?

The flyer talks about CEOs and aspiring leaders... you may be thinking, this isn't for me then... but truly, every woman is a leader in some way.

In our families.
In our workplaces.
In our friendships.
In voluntary groups and communities.

So I wondered…
Would women be interested in a What’s Next? For Women style session with Claire here in Torbay?

It would include:
💛 A short session led by Claire
💛 Time for relaxed conversations in small groups
💛 Sharing stories and helping one another
💛 And for those comfortable with it, reflections shared with the room

💎 Leaving the room with greater clarity about what matters to you, what might be getting in the way, a few insights to take away with you, and perhaps a few gentle next steps.

A room of women who’ve lived a bit of life, are still standing, and might appreciate a little more clarity.

If you’d like to know more about Claire’s work you can scan the QR code on the poster with your mobile phone camera. I'll also put the link in the comments.

👍 And if you’d be interested in attending an affordable, inclusive WNFW event with Claire, please like this post so we can gauge numbers. 💛

Thanks for being a top engager and making it on to our weekly engagement list! 🎉 Dani Dodwell, Heidi Slatter, Queenie Ma...
10/03/2026

Thanks for being a top engager and making it on to our weekly engagement list! 🎉 Dani Dodwell, Heidi Slatter, Queenie Martin, Jen Workman, Caroline Franks

What if the script was flipped?Yesterday was . International Women's Day. Did you notice any changes?I watched a video ...
09/03/2026

What if the script was flipped?

Yesterday was . International Women's Day. Did you notice any changes?

I watched a video where men were asked the kinds of questions women are often asked.
🎦 I'll add a link to it in the comments.

The confusion on their faces said everything.

For many women, those questions aren’t shocking. They’re familiar.

International Women’s Day matters.

But this isn’t just about one day a year.

It’s about the world our daughters grow up in.
The support our sisters and friends need.
The respect our mums deserve.
And the example we set for our sons.

Change doesn’t happen in a day.

It happens in conversations, friendships and communities that lift each other up.

That’s something What's Next? For Women hopes to play a small part in. Creating spaces where women support women, friendships grow, and we’re reminded that being ourselves is exactly who we were born to be. 💛

Connection is what What's Next? For Women is all about, especially on this International Women's Day , with this year's...
08/03/2026

Connection is what What's Next? For Women is all about, especially on this International Women's Day , with this year's theme, .

We won’t make you to give a presentation in front of everyone else, standing up to introduce yourself to the room or do anything uncomfortable.

But we will create a space where conversations happen naturally, and in these you can give of yourself to other women.

Whether you love being the centre of attention or prefer quieter one to one chats, you’ll find someone to connect with.

I’ll pop a link in the comments to a LinkedIn video by Christine Armstrong that explains this idea beautifully.

Apologies it’s only accessible if you’re on LinkedIn, but the gist of it is simple.

Connection changes the energy in a room.

It was lovely to get away for a few days to New York. So grateful we were able to do this. One of the biggest highlights...
07/03/2026

It was lovely to get away for a few days to New York. So grateful we were able to do this.

One of the biggest highlights was meeting up with my stepson and his family who were holidaying in the US from Australia. We even met a grandson we had never met before.

Those moments are precious. More than any sightseeing we could do while here.

But I’m also so glad to be back home. The worries are still there, as well as the good things.

And back to the fresh sea air, family and friends here in Torbay.

We had rain (and a little snow) in New York too... we didn't escape this.

Sometimes though we need to step away to remind ourselves what we already have.

Looking forward to seeing some of you soon at our next WNFW event in 28th March. I can get busy now on creating the Eventbrite page... 💛

I’d guess this chart’s been stuck to the inside of my parents kitchen cupboard since the 1980s. My Dad was clearly ahead...
06/03/2026

I’d guess this chart’s been stuck to the inside of my parents kitchen cupboard since the 1980s. My Dad was clearly ahead of his time taking an interest in healthy eating.

Looking at it now, some of the advice still stands up. Eat plenty of fruit, vegetables and whole foods.

But some of it hasn’t aged so well. For example it talks about foods containing the “16 mineral salts”, including things like silicon foods and fluorine foods. Nutrition science has moved on quite a bit since then.

If you’d like a much more up to date, helpful version you could pin inside your own cupboard, Emma at Embrace The Menopause has created a great modern 🌈 Eat the Rainbow food list that will be emailed to you for free (Note: you may need to check your junk folder) when you sign up to her useful newsletter (you can unsubscribe anytime) at:

https://embracethemenopausenewsletter.kit.com/d784156505

Thanks Emma!

Just a Granddad and his Grandson, watching the squirrels and pigeons in Central Park. How many grandkids have you got? W...
05/03/2026

Just a Granddad and his Grandson, watching the squirrels and pigeons in Central Park.

How many grandkids have you got?

We've 9!

And do you have any favourites? 🤔🤣

Once you start, you just can’t stop.And I’m not talking about Pringles.When I was a young teenager, I asked my Mum for a...
04/03/2026

Once you start, you just can’t stop.

And I’m not talking about Pringles.

When I was a young teenager, I asked my Mum for an electric shaver. I barely had any hairs at all, but in my head it felt like a sign I was becoming a woman.

Very sensibly, she said, “Not yet. As soon as you start, you won’t be able to stop.”

Of course… I went behind her back.

I bought a razor and started anyway. Quietly. Secretly. For months.

When I eventually confessed, she gave me an electric shaver. That was her compromise.

I recently found it in her house while sorting through things and it made me smile. Such a small object, but such a big memory.

Now, as a woman in perimenopause, I realise she was mostly right… and slightly wrong.

Yes, once you start shaving, it becomes part of life.
But also… some hairs seem to slow right down as we get older. Is anyone else noticing that?

What stayed with me though wasn’t just the shaver. It was the principle.

Throughout my life, when faced with starting something new, I’ve often quietly asked myself:

If I start this… will I be able to stop if I want to?

Hair dyeing from the age of 14?
Twice yearly straightening treatments?
Learning to bake very yummy cakes?

Rightly or wrongly, I’m still doing most of them. And honestly, I don’t regret them.

So for me, I don’t think there’s anything I started that I truly wish I hadn’t.

If you feel comfortable sharing…

What’s something you started that you wish you hadn’t?
Or are you glad you did?

I'd love to hear 💛✨

Photo below of Mary Berry's recipe for Victoria Sandwich Cake, my style. Not always the best looking, but the taste! Made twice recently for my husband's birthday - one for my side of the family up north, and one for his. His favourite cake.

Last Friday I went to a Notworking Networking event at The Arena in Torquay and listened to Charlie Flounders share her ...
03/03/2026

Last Friday I went to a Notworking Networking event at The Arena in Torquay and listened to Charlie Flounders share her story. (Link to story in the comments).

Following a horrific industrial accident, Charlie (in photo below) lost one eye. What she spoke about was about identity, resilience, confidence, grief, rebuilding and choosing to keep going.

The kind of wisdom you only get from living through both joy and despair.

It reminded me of something important.

We all carry stories like that, don't we?

Maybe not the same details, but chapters of challenge, courage, doubt, growth. We are all experts in our own lives. And sometimes the most powerful thing we can offer each other is simply the space to be heard.

I would love to invite Charlie to speak at a session one day.

But until then, I am wondering…

What if we created something ourselves for a What's Next? For Women event?

An intimate gathering. A safe space. A circle where we listen. Where we gently hold parts of each other’s stories. No fixing. No performing. Just being heard.

Are we ready for that? 💛

👍 If that feels like something you would value, let me know below with a like or send me a private message.

We want this to happen.I think you do too.Following on from our last foodie event at Cantina Torquay, we said we were go...
02/03/2026

We want this to happen.

I think you do too.

Following on from our last foodie event at Cantina Torquay, we said we were going to create a community recipe book, together, to sell and raise funds for a local charity.

But so far… we’ve had one recipe submitted via the online form.

Which tells me maybe the form feels a bit formal. Maybe life is busy. Maybe creating something from scratch on our own feels like pressure, or worse... homework!

This book was never meant to feel like that.

So we’re thinking… let’s host another foodie evening. The last one was ace 🍲

We’ll get together, eat good food, bring our favourite recipes, books or website pages, and swap and share. Using Emma at Embrace The Menopause's fantastic Food List as a base, we’ll build some recipes together.

Then we go home, test them, tweak them, photograph them and those become our book.

And instead of Amazon producing and selling this for us, we keep it local. Local women. Local businesses. Supporting a local charity.

How does that sound?

If you’d come along to this, like this post.

And if you have a suggestion for a local venue (could be a café, a restaurant, library?) to host this, with food, for an affordable price, drop that in the comments as well. We may get 20 women, like we did last time, maybe 30.✨

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