International Women's Day 2025
Bradley Stoke Town Council invited the community to a series of inspiring and unifying events as we all came together across multiple days to celebrate International Women's Day 2025.
Schedule of events
- 1st March: Frenchay Heritage Walk & Talk
- 1st March: Girls & Young Women Skatepark event
- 1st–2nd March: Police Walk & Talk – Creating Safer Spaces
- 4th March: Red Dress in Popular Culture Talk
- 7th March: Copa 71 Film Screening
- 8th March: Cultural Dress, Community Stalls & Inspiring Stories - unfortunately cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances
- 13th March: Filton Mothers' Union Talk
Heritage Walk – Frenchay Village Museum
Saturday, 1st March 2025
Venue: Frenchay Museum & Meeting House, BS16 1SZ
Morning – Museum & Exhibition
- 10:00 AM – Frenchay Museum – Opportunity to look round the museum, view the Bradley Stoke Red Dress and International Women's Day temporary exhibition
- 12:00 PM – Heritage Walk - Guided walk around Frenchay, exploring historical points of interest with a guide, including a visit to the Unitarian Chapel.
Afternoon – Quaker Meeting House
- 1:30 PM – Opportunity to look round the Quaker Meeting House, refreshments served - Book signing and informal discussions.
- 2:00 PM – Talk by Jane Duffus – Theme of Talk: 'The Women Who Built Bristol'
Girls and Young Women IWD FREE Skatepark and Art event
Saturday, 1st March 2025
All girls and young women were invited to join the Bradley Stoke Town Council (BSTC), Youth Work team for an exciting skatepark and art event to break down barriers in a predominantly male-dominated sport. This was a collaborative event between Campus Skateparks & BSTC.
Venue: Campus Skatepark, Watleys End Road, Winterbourne, Bristol BS36 1QG
Times:
- 4:30pm to 7:30pm Graf style Art workshops (graftworkshop)
- 6pm to 8pm: Skatepark 'have a go' session & coaching + informal skate jam (all disciplines welcome)
- 8pm to 9pm: Post-event gathering at the café with a pizza + drinks deal.
Police Walk & Talk with Women & Girls – Creating Safer Spaces
Saturday, 1st March 2025 at 3pm – Bradley Stoke Skate Park, BS32 9BS
Sunday, 2nd March 2025 at 2pm – Bradley Stoke Skate Park, BS32 9BS
What is a Walk & Talk?
This initiative is an opportunity for women and girls to share their experiences and concerns about safety in public spaces. Led by local community support police officers, these sessions aim to:
- Understand how safe women and girls feel in the area.
- Identify key locations where safety improvements may be needed.
- Encourage open dialogue about experiences of harassment, visibility, and accessibility.
- Build trust and collaboration between the community and local authorities.
Why is it important?
Many women and girls feel uncomfortable or unsafe in certain public areas, particularly when walking alone. These conversations allow us to pinpoint areas of concern, whether it's poor lighting, secluded spaces, or experiences of harassment, so we can advocate for real changes.
Who should join?
- Women & girls of all ages who want to share their experiences.
- Parents, guardians, and local residents who care about making public spaces safer.
- Community leaders, local council representatives, and police officers interested in listening and taking action.
Red Dress in Popular Culture Talk
Tuesday, 4th March 2025
Venue: Little Stoke Baptist Church, Kingsway, Little Stoke, BS34 6JW
Time: 7:30pm
Little Stoke & District Ladies Club hosted this open event, at which Jenny James led a fascinating discussion on the symbolism and influence of the Red Dress in fashion, activism, and popular culture.
Copa 71 – Celebrating Women's Football & Its Trailblazers
Friday, 7th March 2025
Venue: The Brightwell, Bradbury House, Wheatfield Drive, Bradley Stoke, Bristol, BS32 9DB
Time: 7:30pm
Special Guest: Brightwell CEO – Doro talk on being a female CEO and speech from Mayor Natalie Field.
The purpose of the evening was to highlight how far women have come in football and the ongoing fight for recognition, equality, and respect in the sport. Working with The Brightwell centre we had a special screening of Copa 71, a groundbreaking documentary that tells the untold story of the 1971 Women’s World Cup, a tournament that drew crowds of over 100,000 people but was largely forgotten in history.
Long before the Lionesses and the rise of women’s football on the global stage, the 1971 Women’s World Cup in Mexico proved that there was a huge appetite for the women’s game, even when the sport’s governing bodies refused to recognise it.
- Teams from around the world competed in packed stadiums, yet their efforts were dismissed and erased from mainstream football history.
- This film sheds light on the trailblazing women who defied the odds and paved the way for today's generation of female footballers.
Filton Mothers' Union Talk
Thursday, 13th March 2025
Venue: Filton Mothers Union, St Peter's Church, Gloucester Road North, Filton, Bristol, BS34 7BQ
Time: 2pm
Filton Mothers' Union at St Peter's Church, Filton hosted this event which explored the role of women in faith and spirituality with a thought-provoking talk by Jenny James. This Harmony Event was the last of a series of events created to celebrate International Women's Day 2025.
Website: Southern Brooks
Website: The Brightwell
Website: Stoke Gifford Parish Council
