To mark International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024, the Hartlepool Mail has rounded up just some of the town’s inspirational women.
This is not a definitive list of inspirational Hartlepool women but rather a snapshot of the undoubted talent produced and shaped by our town.
9. Sharon Birch
Former detective sergeant, Sharon Birch, founded Footprints Learning for Life nursery in 2006. The nursery won the award for Inclusive Practice at the Nursery World Awards in 2021. Sharon then handed the nursery over to the manager at the end of 2022 and published her debut crime novel in February 2023. Photo: Frank Reid
10. Lyndsay Hogg
Lyndsay founded Hogg Global Logistics in 2019 alongside her father, Graham Hogg. The company has won several awards, including best Small Business of the Year at the Tees Businesswomen Awards. It has supported a number of charity causes in the town, including donating hundreds of packs of sanitary products to help fight period poverty. Photo: Frank Reid
11. Amanda Coulson
At her peak, Amanda Coulson was considered to be the best female amateur boxer in England, juggling fights while working in her local police call centre. Highlights of her boxing career included taking part in the European Championships in Norway in 2005 and representing England at international matches against France and Italy in 2005. Photo: TC
12. Amy Norman
Born in 1874, Amy Norman lived in Seaton Carew and was the secretary of the West Hartlepool Branch of the Women’s Social and Political Union. She was a close personal friend of leading suffragette, Emmeline Pankhurst, and organised marches and lectures in town. Photo: JPI Media