The Ipswich Women’s Festival occurred last Saturday at the University building at the Waterfront. This celebrated 100 years of women getting the vote. Holywells Councillor Liz Harsant was one of the speakers during the morning.
Liz was first elected to Ipswich Borough Council in 2002 and in 2004 became the first female Conservative Leader of the Council in a joint administration with the Lib Dems. In her time as leader, she had to deal with the Council’s response to the murder of 5 women in Ipswich and helped set up the Charity “Somebody’s Daughter”, working with all the agencies to produce a Prostitution Strategy which is used all round the UK.
As councillor for Holywells Ward she has encouraged the development of the Waterfront and the restoration of Holywells Park. She is involved in many local charities, including Ipswich Furniture Project and Survivors in Transition and is chair of Parkside Pupil Referral Unit. in what little spare time she has she loves to read and travel and see her daughters and grandchildren.
Liz is pictured alongside Cllr Eddy Phillips, Conservative Deputy Group Leader, and Tom Hunt, our Parliamentary Candidate.
Joy and Nikki, the Festival Organisers, have said “So many people gave of their time, their energy, their skills and their money to ensure the success of the day, and together we created something really wonderful. We haven't added it all up yet, but we believe that over 500 women came to enjoy the many events of the day, with many others reached through the run-up events.”
Eddy attended a big launch event in September, as pictured. He said “I was the sole male elected councillor from Ipswich Borough Council, and one of only a handful men in attendance ! However I could see the fantastic enthusiasm of all the women involved in the organisation of the various events, and the main festival day was clearly a great success.”
The Councils’ Area Committees, of which all Conservative councillors are members, gave funding for the Festival.
You can see their website https://womensvoiceswomensvotes.wordpress.com/
Donations are still needed, please see here-
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/nikki-packham