THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR WOMEN
The all-new L.Raphael Spa
Future Female Leaders event
Content creators tax implications
Late stage entrepreneurs
BIG STORY
The launch of The City Girl Awards
Alex Bailey
Courage to be ‘boring’ Pippa Moyle
Winding down for Christmas
Natalie Montagnani Imposter syndrome: the mask you wear
JAPAN’S FIRST FEMALE PRIME MINISTER
News
6 Upfront: The top international news stories involving women in business
14 In the Right Direction: Good news stories from around the world
Finance
8 Kreston Reeves
The hidden price of going viral: Tax implications for content creators
Regulars
12 The Alex Bailey Column
Courage to be ‘boring’. Taking a disciplined approach reaps its rewards
16 The City Girl Column
Winding down for Christmas: How to avoid ‘Twixmas Stress’
22 The Natalie Montagnani Column
The mask you wear: why so many women still feel like imposters
Features
4 Dynamic Awards 2026
Offering you a unique sponsorship opportunity
10 Help To Grow
The new courses start in January, and Dynamic is offering spaces
Dynamic chronicles the rise of a petrolhead, martial arts expert and career politician who has risen to become Japan’s first female Prime Minister
34 Spotlight
Focusing on Lissie Squires and Jenny Rayner – two women who deserve more recognition than they current receive
36 The risk advantage
How increasing your tolerance of risk can dramatically boost your success
38 Late-stage start-ups
Entrepreneurship offers women empowerment in late-stage careers
40 Facing the pressure and finding progress
A detailed report into ongoing resilience in female businesses
48 Christmas gifts
Ideas to awaken the adventurous spirit in anyone
Events
18 Future Female Leaders
Highlights from a packed event on the Brighton i360
30 Brighton Girl Launch Night
Pippa Moyle of the City Girl Network hosted this call-to-action for Brighton’s female business sector
32 Dynamic Awards 2026
Back for their fifth year, the premier awards for women in business is open for entries
Take chances, make mistakes. That’s how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave.”
– Mary Tyler Moore
44 Personal health
Creating the right health board for your wellbeing
Art
46 Art
‘Wet Landscapes and Black Butter’ – Kellie Miller on the works of Barbara Burns
Further Reading
42 Jordan Cracknell
“Seven things I’ve learned over twenty years as a female in the finance industry”
Travel
50 L Raphael Spa and Wellness
The Grand Brighton has recently reopened its spa and wellness centre. Tess de Klerk went to try it out
Wine & Dine
52 Pampa Kitchen & Grill
Nestled in the heart of West Sussex is Cuckfield’s relaxed, intimate Pampa.
What’s On
54 A brief snapshot of what’s on in Sussex and Surrey over the Christmas period
Welcome to Dynamic’s final issue of the year in which we bring together many of the themes we have been exploring throughout 202 – women stepping into leadership, building businesses on their own terms and navigating the realities that sit behind the headlines.
Our Big Story focuses on Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s first female Prime Minister. Her appointment is a milestone for representation and a useful lens on how politics, power and progress intersect for women across the world.
Our regular columnists pick up threads that feel particularly relevant at this point in the year. Alex Bailey looks at the value of steady, consistent leadership rather than constant reinvention. Pippa Moyle offers practical thoughts on winding down for Christmas without carrying unnecessary pressure into the break and Natalie Montagnani explores the masks many women feel they need to wear at work.
We also examine the rise of late-stage entrepreneurship and why more women are choosing to start businesses later in their careers, along with the tax implications facing content creators as their work grows. Our Future Female Leaders event at the Brighton i360 features too, highlighting the appetite for connection, learning and support among women in business.
Alongside this, our regular features bring you wellbeing advice, events across Sussex and Surrey and much more.
I hope this issue gives you a few useful ideas, some recognition of your own experience and a moment of calm before the new year begins.
Wishing you a warm and wonderful December.
Editor, Dynamic Magazine tess@platinummediagroup.co.uk
PUBLISHER: Maarten Hoffmann maarten@platinummediagroup.co.uk
EDITOR: Tess de Klerk tess@platinummediagroup.co.uk
MOTORING EDITOR: Fiona Shafer fionaas@platinummediagroup.co.uk
COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR: Lesley Alcock lesley@platinummediagroup.co.uk
EVENTS DIRECTOR: Fiona Graves fiona@platinummediagroup.co.uk
HEAD OF DESIGN / SUB EDITOR: Alan Wares alan@platinummediagroup.co.uk
Now in their fifth year, The Dynamic Awards are designed to recognise and reward women for their hard work and huge contribution to the South East business community. Following the overwhelming success of this event in 2025, and a high demand from businesswomen across the South East, the 2026 Dynamic Awards will welcome entries from Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Kent.
Winning a Dynamic Award has rapidly become the most sought-after accolade in the region. Sponsoring an award offers a fantastic opportunity to position your brand alongside a prestigious, high-profi le event with comprehensive marketing support, whilst demonstrating your commitment to this highly influential demographic.
The awards offer up to six months of intensive marketing including significant support from Platinum Business Magazine, the largest circulation business magazine in the UK, Surrey Business Magazine, the county’s largest circulation magazine, and Dynamic Magazine, the UK’s leading business women’s publication, reaching over 720,000 business readers each month. The intense social media campaign will spread the word to a national audience.
Each sponsoring company puts forward the judge for their category, offering the opportunity to network with key influencers whilst enforcing your organisation’s support for this all-important demographic, and assisting in levelling-up the UK business community.
This is a must-attend gala event that sells out every year with an audience of 500 business leaders from across the region coming together to celebrate the huge contribution that women make to the country’s balance sheet.
AWARDS CEREMONY: MARCH 26TH 2026
GET INVOLVED CONTACT US dynamic@platinummediagroup.co.uk 07767 613707
Get in touch now as availability is limited
AI Excellence Award
Small Business of the Year (-500k)
Medium Business of the Year (500k-£2m)
Large Business of the Year (2m+)
Best Customer Service Award
Best New Business Award
Business Growth Award
Employer of the Year
Future Talent of the Year
Gamechanger of the Year
Inspirational Award
Professional Services Award
Property Professional of the Year
Women in Tech Award
MD of the Year
Businesswoman of the Year
Company of the Year
Sponsoring the Dynamic Awards is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to recognising and supporting business excellence throughout this region.
In addition, we offer a range of unique marketing opportunities for all sponsors aimed at brand awareness, new business development and general marketing campaigns that drive business forward.
As Platinum own and publish all the business media across the South East, such benefits are a well proven method
For more details about sponsorship, get in touch –dynamic@platinummediagroup.co.uk
Urgent action is needed to prevent violent, sexual attacks against women and girls, a report has found after the rape and murder of Sarah Everard by serving Met police officer Wayne Couzens in 2021. The latest stage of the Angiolini Inquiry found more than a quarter of police forces in England and Wales had not made basic changes for investigating sexual offences.
Lady Elish Angiolini KC (right), chair of the inquiry, said: “This has to start with prevention. In reality, I have found the response overall lacks what is afforded to other highpriority crimes, where funding and preventative activity are the norm.”
Australia’s Communications Minister Anika Wells has said she is not intimidated by technology companies who oppose the country’s “world-leading” social media ban and is ready if Washington weighs in. From December 10th, ten major social media firms will have to take “reasonable steps” to prevent children from having accounts on their platforms.
“We stand firm on the side of parents and not on the platforms,” Wells said. Companies, including Meta, have said they agree more is needed to keep young people safe online, but don’t think a ban is the answer.
Starling Bank has teamed up with Small Business Britain to launch a campaign to empower women across the UK to start and grow their businesses. Launching in early 2026, the new partnership will feature a free training programme – ‘Female Founder
Fundamentals: the definitive guide to starting and growing your business’ –comprising online masterclasses and peer-learning opportunities focused on building confidence, growth and financial skills. It will also support mental resilience, following joint research that
found 60% of female founders struggle to switch off from work. The partnership kicked off with a networking event at Emirates Stadium in North London, with over 150 female entrepreneurs coming together to celebrate women’s achievements in business and sport.
Innovate UK has launched its Women in Innovation Awards for 2025-26, offering up to 60 awardees a grant of up to £75,000. The awards are aimed at female founders of late-stage start-ups with a minimum viable product, early user interest or revenue, a growing team, and plans to raise significant capital within 12 to 24 months.
Liz Kendall, science secretary, said: “The Women in Innovation Awards are unlocking the UK’s untapped potential within our community of women innovators; if men and women started and scaled businesses at the same rate this could be worth as much as £250 billion for the UK economy.”
Women Leaders UK is marking a decade of celebrating and empowering inspirational women and is now inviting new trustees to help steer its future.
Founded in 2015 by Jan Flawn CBE, the volunteer-led charity has grown into a network offering mentoring, allyship, and partnership programmes that promote gender equality and inclusion across sectors where women remain underrepresented.
As the charity embarks on its next phase, it is seeking expressions of interest from individuals keen to join its Board of Trustees. Chair Dr Julie Mills OBE DL said: “Our
first ten years have been about recognition and inspiration. This is a wonderful opportunity for people who share our passion to help shape what comes next.”
Haywards Heath business owner
Lauren Brown, Founder of Busy Brains Activity Packs, has been announced as a winner in the Female Business Awards, a UK-wide initiative celebrating female-led small businesses.
The gala was held at the Victoria & Albert Marriott Hotel in Manchester in November. The Awards recognise the successes and achievements of female-led small businesses across the UK, with over 800 nominations across
16 categories this year. Busy Brains Activity Packs was confirmed as the winner in the Best Product category.
Hazel Woodward, co-founder of the Female Business Awards, said: “Finalists demonstrated exceptional standards of service, client satisfaction, and business impact. To be confirmed as a winner highlights the positive influence Lauren is making within her industry.”
Brighton & Hove Albion owner Tony Bloom says a new designated stadium for their women’s team remains “vitally important” to the club and the city but he “can’t put a time on it”. The club hopes to build a new purpose-built stadium for the women’s team by 2027-28, having had proposals approved by the council in October 2023. The Seagulls currently host the majority of their WSL matches at Crawley Town’s Broadfield Stadium, with some games being played at the club’s main Amex Stadium. “We are really committed to bringing the women’s team back to Brighton fulltime with the stadium,” Bloom told BBC Radio Sussex.
‘MORE FEMALE PILOTS NEEDED’
In 2022, only 5% of pilots were women. To combat this, the International Air Transport Association launched its 25by2025 campaign in 2019, aiming to improve female representation in the industry by 25% or to a minimum of 25% by the end of 2025.
“Women remain underrepresented, with fewer than 20% holding positions in most aviation occupations, and only 5% are professional pilots, despite comprising nearly half of the US workforce,” Perdomo Cuevas, a senior air transport executive, explains.
“The issue isn’t talent — it’s infrastructure. The conversation often stops at recruitment, but retention is just as critical. Many women leave because they don’t feel seen, heard or supported. It’s exhausting, and that’s why so many don’t make it to leadership.”
“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear.”
- Rosa Parks
“Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas.”
– Marie Curie
There is no field of endeavour in which women are not achieving, from tech to fashion to AI. And yet, the world of finance still does not back women entrepreneurs or support femaleled businesses, according to Kathy Harvey, Associate Dean for Global Networks and Innovation at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and a Fellow of Keble College.
Recent data from global financing experts at PitchBook showed that in 2023, just 2.1% of venture capital went to women. That was not an unusual year.
Since 2008, European businesses led by men and women have received ten times as much funding as businesses led solely by women. Harvey puts much of this down to business finance’s outdated view of women.
HALF OF WOMEN FEEL
A startling 49% of women have said they would stay in and miss festive celebrations due to worries over their safety while travelling home from work parties.
In a poll of 2,000 people conducted by personal safety app WalkSafe, a fifth of women said they had experienced harassment on their way to and from work. As part of the study, it was found that 46%of women were concerned about drinking alcohol at work events and a third feared for their wellbeing during Christmas shopping trips.
Emma Kay, WalkSafe’s founder, said: “Christmas and the party season that traditionally comes with it should be a time to be enjoyed, catch up with colleagues and friends and celebrate the year.
CBy
Hayley Cleaver,
Accounts
Senior Manager, Kreston Reeves
By Alison Jones, Partner, Kreston Reeves
ontent creators can very quickly see their content and earnings soar, and with it, interest from the tax authorities. It pays to have an experienced tax adviser by your side.
Not all social media content creators realise that as soon as earnings hit £1,000 a year, HMRC will want its slice. And as earnings increase, so does the tax exposure. In fact, in January 2023, HMRC ran a campaign specifically for content creators to nudge them to declare their income.
For those starting their content creation careers, when income hits £1,000 or more, they must register and file a self-assessment tax return. Tax returns are usually due on January 31st every year, along with any tax due. From April 6th 2026, they will have to comply with Making Tax Digital (often referred to as MTD), including quarterly reporting (though there are exemptions). HMRC charge penalties for not reporting.
This means that if your content is generating income in 2024 and 2025, you will need to start thinking about your tax return in the next few weeks.
But what is taxable income? It’s not always straightforward. If content creators are paid to post on any social media platform, have entered into brand deals, or their posts generate ad revenue, then HMRC will consider that taxable income. This bit is straightforward, but other areas of earnings are more difficult to work out the tax treatment on.
Brand or product deals that do not involve cash may also be considered taxable income, but it is more complex. HMRC will want to know if you are trading or non-trading, and any agreement that accompanies that deal. Bluntly, a gift is not, in the eyes of the taxman, necessarily a gift.
Gifting may, in some cases, be considered a payment valued at the money’s worth — particularly where a service, such as posting content in return, is implied or expected. This expectation can arise through formal agreements or informal understandings. However, this is a thorny area, and expert advice is essential to ensure compliance with tax regulations.
“If your content is generating income in 2024 and 2025, you will need to start thinking about your tax return in the next few weeks.”
As your business grows, content creators may need to decide how that business is structured. There are advantages and disadvantages to remaining a sole trader or becoming a limited company. And if income approaches £90,000 in any one year, VAT is likely to become an issue.
There is, however, some encouraging news. HMRC will allow you to offset some of the expenses of creating content against that income, reducing the tax that might be due.
“just as content creators are quick to adopt new technology, especially AI, to help better support them, so too are the tax authorities”
Typically, the cost of a camera, lighting and audio, editing software and apps, business travel and even personal marketing costs – together with your accountant’s fees – will reduce tax liabilities. But it is complicated, and HMRC will need to see clear evidence of record-keeping.
As a content creation business grows, perhaps with income being generated from sources around the world, so too does the tax landscape. Income generated from customers outside the UK may trigger VAT or income tax liabilities outside of the UK as well as in the UK.
And just as content creators are quick to adopt new technology, especially AI, to help better support them, so too are the tax authorities. HMRC uses clever AI-powered technology to search across multiple sources, with content platforms required to share revenue-generation data. It has content creators in its sights.
When income is not always predictable or straightforward,
it pays to have experienced and specialist tax advisers to hand. With us at your side, content creators are left to do what they do best – create compelling content.
Please note: Th is article was written prior to the Autumn Budget announcement on November 26th. Subsequent changes introduced in the Budget may affect the information and guidance provided.
Get in touch with Hayley or Alison today if you are a content creator and need help with your fi nances:
Call: +44 (0)33 0124 1399
Email Hayley: hayleycleaver@krestonreeves.com
Email: Alison: alisonjones@krestonreeves.com
Visit: www.krestonreeves.com
Help to Grow | Management Course
REGISTER FOR FULLY FUNDED PLATINUM
250 local businesses completed Help to Grow’s Management Course
The Platinum Media Group, through Dynamic Business Magazine, and its sister publication, Platinum Business Magazine, has been a supporter of the Help to Grow course ever since it first started.
The people involved at Help To Grow are very proud of the longer term impact on local SMEs the programme, with Platinum’s support, has offered.
Rebecca Smith, Creative Director at Sussex jewellers Pruden & Smith (see opposite) graduated from the Help to Grow
Management Course delivered by the University of Brighton School of Business.
Help to Grow is a 12-week course taught online and face-to-face by experts at the University of Brighton. It’s 90% Governmentfunded, and there are a couple of places left on the January Brighton cohort of Help to Grow. Some of these spaces are Dynamicsponsored places, which means you can sign up at no cost to you.
Find out more about Help to Grow by emailing helptogrow@brighton.ac.uk
91% of people said the Help to Grow programme had improved their leadership and management of the business.
• 90% Government funded
• MBA style business training
• For businesses with more than five staff
• 12 weeks, online and face-to-face
• Taught by university experts
• Assistance with producing a growth plan
• Course starts in January 2026
There are still places left on the January Brighton cohort of Help to Grow and a limited number of Dynamic and Platinum sponsored places which means you can sign up at no cost to you, find out more at helptogrow@brighton.ac.uk
Pruden & Smith, a maker of bespoke and handmade luxury jewellery with a 100-year legacy of craftsmanship, looks ahead to a bright future after the Help to Grow Management course. The Ditchlingbased business has achieved record revenues a year after its creative director, Rebecca Smith, completed the 90% Government-funded Help to Grow: Management Course at the University of Brighton.
The business has achieved an overall revenue increase of 26% in the 12 months following the course, fuelled by the creation of an e-commerce site which has increased online sales by 250% in the first 12 months from a standing start. Since Rebecca completed the course, the business has expanded its sales team, invested in re-fi tting its workshop and added innovative online features, including a custom engagement ring builder.
Entrepreneur and creative director at Pruden & Smith, Rebecca Smith, said: “I had been looking for something to help us grow for a couple of years when I spotted details about the Help to Grow: Management Course in a local magazine. It was exactly what I was looking for, for me personally as a leader and for the business, so I signed up immediately. The course provided us with what we needed - it offered the structures and support we needed to take our business to the next level.
“Pruden & Smith had 13 members of staff when Rebecca enrolled and now has 19. The solutions can be quite straightforward, but you do need guidance and knowledge to implement them effectively. We started by asking everyone to keep a simple record of their activities for a few weeks, so we could better understand where time was being spent. The first thing we did was to increase the hours our cleaner worked, as we had too many people taking on cleaning tasks rather than the role for which we employ them.
“This exercise allowed us to provide clarity around existing roles but also outline development paths so individuals could see how they would progress in the future. When we created the organisation map, I was in four of the roles. This process allowed me to identify areas where I should step back, but it also provided us with real clarity on the roles we needed to establish to underpin our growth. We recreated people’s jobs to fit that model.” Rebecca explains.
The Help to Grow course includes a one-toone mentor that you can choose according to relevant expertise. Rebecca explains how this helped her.
“I think many small businesses like ours struggle because they aren’t putting the right organisational structures in place to support growth. As an entrepreneur, I’ve never worked in a large organisation, so I didn’t even really know the names of the roles we would require as we scaled into a bigger business.
“For me, having a mentor was transformational. Our mentor helped me to feel a lot more confident and much clearer on how everything needed to move forward and how to enact change. We’ve been able to access real-world e-commerce and digital marketing expertise, which has been fundamental to our digital transformation. We’re now growing faster than ever and investing in creating the foundations for future success, and I have a strong peer network, which makes the journey less lonely and helps with my own development.”
www.prudenandsmith.com
We are delighted to have Co-Founder, with 20+ years organisational change. delivering impactful programmes
By Alex Bailey
s a leader who thrives on the stage, I know the rush of new ideas, catalyst moments and high-energy events. Those moments energise teams, open doors and make an impact, and I still seek them. Yet business stability rarely springs from a handful of charismatic performances.
Sustainable results come from sustained, repetitive practice: the small, measurable actions that anchor excitement in the everyday work of running an organisation. Choosing to invest in those unglamorous habits, again and again, is an essential form of courage. The everyday, ‘boring’ work matters because it builds credibility. When leaders repeat the basics with discipline, they create predictable systems that produce repeatable outcomes. People start to rely on that
predictability. Regular cadences: weekly priorities, monthly reviews, quarterly strategy check-ins and steady one-to-one conversations, they all reduce the anxiety that uncertainty breeds.
They create a rhythm that the organisation can move to when new problems arise, and that rhythm compounds. Small choices made consistently, from following up after a meeting to keeping a public tracker of progress, become the ingredients of larger successes. The shiny, attention-grabbing moments generate headlines; the repetitive, maintenance work converts those moments into momentum.
In practical terms, being willing to be boring looks like a simple pattern: say what you will do, do it, and then report
“Sustainable results come from sustained, repetitive practice”
have Alex Bailey contributing to Dynamic. She is a Global CEO and years of expertise in HR leadership, psychology, coaching, and She specialises in cultural evolution, leadership,and performance, programmes globally while speaking at international events.
what you did. That three-step loop closes the gap between words and action and is one of the clearest signals of reliability a leader can send. It means building predictable rituals that translate strategy into day-to-day behaviour, not as a bureaucratic end in themselves, but as mechanisms that remove friction and make good work habitual.
It means returning to maintenance tasks: documenting decisions, clarifying ownership, closing outstanding actions and keeping the machine oiled so the organisation doesn’t stall when pressure comes.
Part of this practice is investing in low-glamour connections. A large social media presence is rarely the product of a single viral post; it’s an accumulation of small gestures over time; a message sent on the commute, a short note after a call, a timely introduction, a one-line appreciation.
away from the perpetual hunt for influence and into a disciplined routine can feel like recovery: a way to re-energise, re-focus and rebuild clarity. The daily grind offers time to listen, to test incremental improvements and to notice things that slip under the radar during big launches.
It’s where coaching happens, where development is nurtured and where culture is reinforced through repetition. For leaders committed to helping others step into voice and authority, giving power to the everyday work is just as important for sustained business success.
“Being boring sometimes is not a retreat; it is a disciplined, strategic choice to build reliability, deepen trust and win over time”
Those actions feel minor in isolation, but they shape perception and build social capital. I built much of my network not from theatrical moments but from incremental outreach in spare minutes: while waiting for a train, between meetings or on the margins of other work. Those tiny habits add up to a durable platform of relationships and trust.
Opting for the mundane is courageous because it runs counter to common incentives. The business world amplifies novelty and exhibition; attention often rewards the flashy. Choosing repetition over applause demands restraint for some, a long view and a humility that benefits system health over individual spotlight.
That choice is visible to teams and powerful in its effects: when leaders consistently show up for the small things, they model the standards they expect. People follow example more readily than instruction; steady leaders create steady teams. The steadiness and cadence that flow from repetition reduce the emotional load of uncertainty, enabling people to focus and perform when surprises appear.
There is also a restorative logic to being boring. Stepping
If you recognise you’re a leader who’s often tempted by the influence opportunity, maybe try choosing just one ritual to protect for a quarter: a priority setting hour or a monthly review. Block time for it in advance and make it fixed, no matter what urgent and important demand comes in. Communicate why you are focusing on routine, so your team know you are being deliberate. Measure the small wins and watch them compound over time.
I still love the microphone, the camera and the opportunity to influence. Lately, I’ve been intentional about stepping back into other work: sustaining routine reviews, revisiting the same activity check-ins, and doing the small admin that keeps momentum alive.
Those ‘boring’ hours have become recovery, investment and strategy all at once. Being boring sometimes is not a retreat; it is a disciplined, strategic choice to build reliability, deepen trust and win over time.
Alex Bailey styled by Gresham Blake Email: Alex@baileyandfrench.com www.baileyandfrench.com Insta @alexbaileybackstage Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ alex-bailey-26562b2/
New figures from the World Bank show a sharp rise in women holding bank accounts, particularly in low and middle income countries. A decade ago, only half of women in these regions had an account. That figure has climbed to 73 per cent. Despite this progress, an
estimated 700 million women still remain unbanked. The most common reasons include not having enough money to open an account and the cost of financial services. Even so, the World Bank described the overall trend as a strong and hopeful shift.
The US Supreme Court has refused an appeal that sought to overturn the 2015 ruling, which legalised same sex marriage nationwide. The case was brought by Kim Davis, a former Kentucky clerk who declined to issue marriage licences to same sex couples and was later sued.
LGBTQ+ groups welcomed the court’s decision and said it reaffirmed the rights of couples across the country. The ruling arrives three years after a separate decision rolling back abortion rights, which had sparked concern over the future of other civil liberties.
The UK government has announced a programme to phase out certain forms of animal testing by the end of 2025. It also aims to reduce the use of dogs and primates in medical research by more than a third before 2030. Officials plan to support new technologies such as organ-on-a-chip models that replicate human biological processes. Campaigners say recent scientific advances mean many experiments can now be carried out without using animals. They believe the strategy marks a major step toward more ethical research.
California has approved a new law that gives residents more control over their personal data. The California Opt Me Out Act will require web browsers to include a prominent option that allows users to opt out of having their information sold or shared. Privacy groups have called the measure an important step forward. They say it will make opting out simpler by removing the need to adjust settings on individual websites. The law, which comes into force in 2027, could serve as a model for other regions seeking stronger digital protections.
“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.”
- Coco Chanel
Climate education will soon become part of the EU school curriculum, a move celebrated by campaigners. Officials say boosting climate literacy is essential for improving public understanding of environmental issues and preparing a future workforce with green skills. The organisation earthday.org, which
has long campaigned for climate education, welcomed the decision. The announcement brings the number of countries including climate learning in their national commitments to more than 150. Advocates say education is key to building resilience and driving long-term progress on climate action.
A new UK scheme will allow people experiencing homelessness to open bank accounts without a fixed address. Major banks, including Lloyds, NatWest, Barclays, Nationwide and Santander, will follow HSBC in removing the address requirement. The initiative aims to break a cycle that prevents people from securing housing without a bank account. It will also provide financial education and support for those rebuilding credit. Charities involved in the pilot say the plan will help people regain stability and give them a better chance of accessing secure accommodation and work.
Football supporters have welcomed the FA’s decision to block dynamic pricing for tickets to the men’s 2028 Euros. Dynamic pricing pushes up prices in real time as demand rises. It was used during sales for the 2026 men’s World Cup, leading to widespread criticism. Consumer experts at Which? said the FA’s stance should spare fans from feeling pressured into paying more than they can
The UK government has announced plans to make the resale of concert tickets for profit illegal. Largescale touting has frustrated fans for years, with bots snapping up tickets before people can reach them. Tickets for this summer’s Oasis reunion shows were listed for more than £4,000
within minutes of going on sale for £200. Consumer group Which? welcomed the proposed changes and said they would help genuine fans. Some resale platforms have criticised the move, arguing it could push ticket sales into unregulated markets.
manage. The move has prompted further calls for an outright ban on dynamic pricing across major sporting events.
“It is past time for women to take their rightful place, side by side with men, in the rooms where the fates of peoples, where their children’s and grandchildren’s fates, are decided”
- Hilary Clinton
Pippa Moyle is the CEO and founder of the City Girl Network, a mission-driven business dedicated to empowering and supporting women across the UK. Since launching in March 2016, the network has built a vibrant community of over 150,000 women, facilitating new friendships, business connections, job opportunities, housing solutions, and valuable life advice.
By Pippa Moyle
It’s that time of the year. Famously referred to as the “most magical”, yet best described as an additional project to manage. Office parties, Secret Santa, client’s gift-giving, Christmas networking and office decorating are sharing ‘top priority status’ with your company’s biggest clients and campaigns. Balance that with the increased demand of family life, an anxious economy and getting hit with the annual dose of winter flu, and we have ourselves one exhausted Dynamic Woman.
It’s completely understandable that many of us will be clawing our way to the fi nish line – part Christmas bauble, part Yule Log. There’s no hiding from the reality of what those last few working weeks of the year can bring. Nor will I throw any shade at those parties, secret Santa gift hunting or the little Christmas tree that will be sitting at my desk when you’re reading this.
“‘Work Christmas’ is a hugely positive tradition; it’s the ‘Twixmas Stress’ that we all need to avoid.”
‘Work Christmas’ is a hugely positive tradition; it’s the ‘Twixmas Stress’ that we all need to avoid.
Twixmas Stress refers to that time between Christmas and New Year when all the stuff you didn’t get done at work comes back to haunt you. And that haunting accumulates into the huge staff turnover in January.
The “I should have done” stick evolves into a hot rod of selfdoubt, sleepless nights and fear for the year ahead; made worse by the input of loving family and friends who hate to see you like that. We see the highest volume of “help, I think I hate my job” posts during Twixmas, and almost all of them are held up by the “should have done” stick.
When you strip away the anxieties of those reaching out for advice, regardless of industry or level of experience, it comes down to one common theme: they didn’t prepare to rest.
You’ll know from previous columns that I’m an advocate for rest and the seven different types: physical, mental, sensory, creative, emotional, social and spiritual (more on that in issue 50.) Not just lying on the sofa with picky bits and a Hallmark fi lm, but an authentic switch-off in every sense of the word.
Follow these fi ve steps:
1. Switch off your wifi, turn off your phone, and download all of the outstanding tasks of your projects from your brain onto paper
2. Decide on the “hard stop” for each of your projects. What needs to be done by Christmas?
3. Work backwards from that hard stop to highlight what needs to be done
4. Review whether or not you’re being realistic. How long will this take? Is it really what needs to be done? Is it possible to do?
5. Edit accordingly. Do it.
“Eat that frog. Brian Tracy’s famously gross expression, referring to doing the biggest, hardest, and most important thing fi rst.”
I have three tips to help you get there: Inbox Zero, Project Planning and Frog Eating.
INBOX ZERO
There’s truly no better feeling than going into the weekend on Inbox Zero. “You have no new mail!” Ah, what a wonderful statement. Of course, there are some emails waiting in my “next week” folder, but I’ve made the decision to do that, rather than have my emails do it for me.
As Merlin Mann, originator of the Inbox Zero technique, shares so eloquently: it’s not about having the perfect inbox, it’s about making email work for you.
Personally, I follow the Graham Allcott and Th ink Productive method of Inbox Zero management, but however you get there, let it be by Christmas.
If you’re going to take any action away from this article (and I really hope you do), it’s this: take out your diary and block out two hours for Project Planning. Make sure it’s the soonest time possible. The weeks will soon fly by.
Eat that frog. Brian Tracy’s famously gross expression, referring to doing the biggest, hardest, and most important thing fi rst. It’s a great lesson in productivity management that’s easy to ignore when you’re tired and overwhelmed. But that frog will ribbit its way into your precious time off and hop all around your brain if you don’t.
If you’d followed steps one and two, your frog is probably long gone. But if they’re leaping around your mind as you read this, write them down and get ready to cross them out with a big glittery pen.
There are only two types of frogs that are welcome in your rest time: one’s a Freddo, and the other is on a notebook gifted to you in your work’s secret Santa.
Pippa Moyle CEO + Founder citygirlnetwork.com
Our Communities: Brighton, London, Manchester, Bristol, Bath, Leeds, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Worthing, Liverpool, Newcastle, Chester, Milton Keynes, Oxford, York, Cardiff, Glasgow, Perth and Rural Sussex
In partnership with the University of Brighton's Help to Grow Programme, Dynamic Magazine was delighted to present an inspiring and motivational event on November 13th at the Brighton i360, aimed at all current and future Female Business Leaders.
The Help to Grow Programme is a superb, expert led mini-MBA programme that has been receiving rave reviews from many participants, and so keen is Dynamic to ensure that female-led businesses take part that the Platinum Media Group sponsored all of the female places this year, ensuring that the course was offered totally free of charge.
The event saw 130 free places made available and with 423 applications for tickets, this demonstrates the drive and appetite for female-led businesses to learn, network and get ahead.
Speakers were Sarah Willingham, former Dragons Den and new owner of the new Brighton i360; Susannah Atherton, Managing Director of The English Soap Company and the 2025 Dynamic Awards winner of the ‘Inspirational Award’; and Liz Beck, Founder of Inspiring HR, now a part of the Omny Group.
The speeches were truly inspirational and ranged across a very wide range of subjects, followed by a fascinating and very lively Q&A session. Th is was followed by a splendid trip in the Pod for networking at 450 feet as the sun burst through and bathed Brighton in warm light.
As the event was such a success and so well received, we are planning further events in 2026 and to register your interest, please get in touchinfo@platinummediagroup.co.uk
For more information on the Help to Grow Programme, get in touch with Dr Adam Jones –aj48@brighton.ac.uk
Natalie Montagnani is the Founder of IGNITE and on a mission to empower women in business — from ambitious founders to current and emerging corporate leaders. With 25 years’ experience, from leading EMEA marketing campaigns to running her own agency for 18 years, she now helps women step into confident leadership, build powerful personal brands, and own the visibility, influence and commercial impact they deserve.
By Natalie Montagnani
As women, we are extraordinary mask-wearers, aren’t we? We have spent years perfecting the art of appearing composed, competent and in control, while quietly second-guessing ourselves beneath the surface.
We smile, nod and press on with the “I’m fine” routine even when we’re not. We breeze through meetings with the “Don’t worry, I’ve got this” expression, even while juggling ten priorities in our heads and mentally negotiating the logistics of life — school pick-ups, ageing relatives, team deadlines, the lot. And when you layer motherhood or menopause on top? No wonder so many women feel like they’re disappearing under the weight of it all.
We take on more, push harder, and pretend the overwhelm is manageable, despite knowing one extra task might just
tip us over the edge. And underneath it all is that universal whisper, “Any minute now, they’ll realise I don’t actually know what I’m doing.”
In the women I coach, this whisper shows up: a reluctance to apply for a promotion unless every box is ticked, hesitation to raise prices despite years of expertise, or a persistent fear of being found out, even when they’re delivering exceptional results.
Sheryl Sandberg, former COO of Facebook and author of Lean In, admitted that, despite her success, “Every time I didn’t embarrass myself — or even excelled — I believed I had fooled everyone yet again. One day soon, the jig would be up.”
This theme came up repeatedly at the Future Female Leaders event at the Brighton i360 last month. Liz Beck opened with: “Confidence doesn’t come when you’re ready — take action anyway.” I see this daily. Brilliant, capable
“Underneath it all is that universal whisper: ‘Any minute now, they’ll realise I don’t actually know what I’m doing.’”
women waiting for permission or validation before stepping into roles they’re already more than prepared for.
Most women weren’t raised to lead. We were rewarded for being pleasant, helpful, adaptable, easy. We were encouraged to take up only a ‘reasonable’ amount of space. We learned early that ambition could be misinterpreted, assertiveness judged, and success could make others uncomfortable.
Susannah Atherton, another speaker at the event, spoke about imposter syndrome, especially when you’re the only woman in the room, because when you feel like the exception, it becomes even harder to show up as your unfiltered self.
The longer we wear the mask, the more it reshapes how we see ourselves. You start to question your judgement, share accomplishments with disclaimers, apologise before offering your opinion, downplay strengths others wish they had, and you overwork. Not because you need to, but because you believe you must prove something that was never in doubt. And then the cruellest twist: the mask becomes so convincing that you begin to believe you aren’t capable.
At the i360 event, Liz Beck reminded us that, “growth is rarely glamorous,” and the collective nodding in the room made one thing clear — even the most extraordinary women feel these moments deeply.
Despite how ingrained it feels, the mask is not permanent. It can be removed, gently, courageously, deliberately — and
“You
are not an imposter. You are a woman who has been conditioned to doubt herself — and yet you keep showing up, delivering, leading and growing anyway.”
the world does not collapse when you do. As soon as someone stops performing and starts showing up as themselves, opportunities expand, visibility increases, and confidence becomes accessible rather than aspirational.
Authenticity builds trust. It strengthens teams and cultures. It attracts the right clients. And, most importantly, it rebuilds self-trust, something every woman deserves to feel.
Despite how we’ve been conditioned, the women who rise the fastest are not the most polished; they are the most honest.
They say, “I don’t know yet, but I’ll find out,” or “This isn’t working, let’s rework it,” or “This is who I am and I’m finished apologising for it.” And as Sarah Willingham shared at the event, sometimes being underestimated becomes your superpower.
Taking off the mask doesn’t require a dramatic TV-style reveal (although that would be fun!). It starts with small, practical actions: speaking up when your instincts nudge you, telling the truth about your workload, stating your needs clearly, acknowledging your achievements without shrinking them, and rejecting the outdated belief that you must be superhuman to be taken seriously.
The moment a woman stops waiting to feel ready, everything shifts. And sometimes the bravest leadership decision you can make is to change the environment, the expectations, or even the clients you serve if authenticity feels impossible where you are.
You are not an imposter. You are a woman who has been conditioned to doubt herself — and yet you keep showing up, delivering, leading and growing anyway. That is strength. The mask is optional, the power underneath is undeniable, and it’s time for the real you to be seen, and I can’t wait to meet her!
Natalie Montagnani Founder of IGNITE Women in Business
07900 153503
ignitewomeninbusiness.com
Connect with Natalie on LinkedIn or drop her an email to natalie@ignitewomeninbusiness.com
Japan recently elected its first female Prime Minister. Sanae Takaichi is the President of the Liberal Democratic Party, a political organisation which, despite its name, is actually a conservative (with a large and small ‘c’), which has held power in Japan for much of the past 75 years.
Who is Sanae Takaichi, and what does she offer her country, domestically and internationally? By Alan Wares
Born in 1961 and raised in Nara Prefecture, Takaichi graduated from Kobe University and worked as an author, legislative aide, and broadcaster before beginning her political career. Takaichi graduated from Nara Prefectural Unebi High School. Despite qualifying for university, she did not attend, as her parents refused to cover the tuition fees if she left home or chose a private university because she was a woman.
Takaichi instead commuted six hours from her family home to attend Kobe University, supporting herself with part-time work. During her university years, she played the drums in a local band. In 1984, she graduated from Kobe with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, then enrolled in the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management. Elected as an independent to the House of Representatives (Japan’s lower house, or House of Commons equivalent) in the 1993 general election, she joined the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in 1996.
From 2022 to 2024, during Fumio Kishida’s premiership, she served as the Minister of State for Economic Security. Takaichi made her second run for the party leadership in the 2024 leadership election, where she came in first in the first round but narrowly lost in a runoff to her predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba.
She ran again in the 2025 leadership election for the third time and placed first in both rounds of voting, becoming the party’s first female president. Following the end of the LDP–Komeito coalition, Takaichi secured a coalition agreement with the Japan Innovation
Shenzo Abe’s economic policy was also related to the rise of China as an economic and political power. Abe’s supporters drew explicit parallels between Abenomics and the Meiji era programme of fukoku kyōhei (enrich the country, strengthen the military). In addition to providing a stronger counterweight to China in the Asia-Pacific region, strengthening the Japanese economy is also intended to make Japan less reliant on the United States for defence.
Abe was assassinated, while serving as Prime Minister, in 2022.
Party and was elected prime minister by the National Diet on October 21st 2025. As the Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party, she is the fi rst woman to hold either of these positions. A protégé of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, she held various positions during Abe’s premiership (2012-2020), most notably as Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications.
Takaichi’s views have been described as conservative or ultraconservative. Her domestic policy includes support for proactive government spending and the continuation of so-called Abenomics.
She supports revising Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan, which renounces the use of military force, a pro-Taiwanese foreign policy (primarily aimed at upsetting China), and strengthening the US–Japan alliance.
Takaichi has cited former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as a role model and a profoundly influential figure on her personal political beliefs. Like Thatcher, she is called ‘The Iron Lady’. The irony here is that this phrase, written initially by Soviet journalist Yuri Gavrilov in 1976, was intended as an insult. Whether to throw it back in his face, or as something lost in translation, Thatcher liked the sobriquet and was very happy to be called ‘The Iron Lady’.
“Takaichi has cited former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as a role model”
A member of the far-right movement Nippon Kaigi, she has been described as holding revisionist views of Japan’s conduct during World War II. While it is victors who often write history, Japan frequently violated international human rights conventions during World War II. It was a source of national embarrassment for millions in post-war Japan. It is also something which ultra-conservatives, instead of facing down their history, choose to rewrite, offering justification for Japan’s behaviour, while vilifying other (sometimes guilty) nations.
The LDP is a right-of-centre umbrella party which, unusually, should it ever exist in western Europe, carries a range of conservative and ultra-conservative views, from socalled moderates to what commentators here would call ‘the far-right’.
Taro Kono, another LDP minister and member of the House of Representatives, has said that Takaichi is “on the far right of the political spectrum within the LDP.” Takaichi has been
The National Diet is the Japanese parliament, consisting of a lower house, the House of Representatives, and an upper house, the House of Councillors.
described as “far-right” by Deutsche Welle and the South China Morning Post, and various sources, including Time magazine, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Guardian, Politico, Foreign Policy and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), have described her as “ultraconservative”.
Foreign
At a time when many countries are cooling their relationship with the USA, Takaichi wants to forge a much closer relationship with them, even with the incumbent president in place. Donald Trump visited Japan recently, where he was presented with a putter formerly owned by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a golf ball signed by Japanese professional golfer Hideki Matsuyama, and a gold-leaf golf ball. During their visit to the US Yokosuka Naval Base, aboard the USS George Washington (CVN-73), Takaichi vowed to bring the US–Japan alliance into a “golden age”, amid a “severe security environment”
China made an unusual move by not sending a congratulatory telegram on the day Takaichi assumed the post of Prime Minister. However, a few days later, on October 31st, a Japan-China summit meeting took place. There, the two nations agreed to promote a “mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests.” However, Prime Minister Takaichi had previously held talks with Taiwan’s former Vice Premier Lin Hsin-i. On November 1st, China protested with Japan, and Japan counter-argued, leaving the relationship between the two countries as distant as ever.
A fervent Japanese nationalist, she has also upset both China and South Korea with multiple, controversial visits to Yasukuni Shrine. The shrine itself is a monument to 2.4m Japanese war dead, though among the list are over a thousand indicted and convicted war criminals, a dozen of whom were convicted of ‘Class War Crimes’ (the highest status in international war criminality). She made visits in April and August 2024, both times signing as minister of state.
yen slid in terms of its value. The Nikkei rose over 4% to hit a record high, and the index closed 4.75% higher to end the trading day, while the value of the yen lost 1.8% against the dollar.
During the fi rst press conference of her premiership on October 21st, Takaichi outlined her key priorities, including tackling rising inflation, and stated that she would work to implement the suspension of the provisional petrol tax rate.
“At a time when many countries are cooling their relationship with the USA, Takaichi wants to forge a much closer relationship with them”
Takaichi also announced her other plans, including a proposal for creating a backup capital region, overhauling Japan’s social security system, revising the constitution, and establishing a majority government to bring stability, while consulting with opposition parties on national policies and raising the national tax-free income threshold.
Upon her election as party president, it was already speculated that a Takaichi government would accommodate an interest rate increase by the Bank of Japan early in her possible tenure as prime minister. After her election, the Nikkei 225 share gauge surged past the 47,000 level for the fi rst time, and the
She stated that crisis management is part of her core agenda during her premiership and outlined her plans to increase collaboration between the public and private sectors in investing in economic, energy, and food security.
According to local reports, Takaichi is currently planning a ¥13.9 trillion ($92.19 billion) economic stimulus package as part of her fi rst economic initiative
“Takaichi practices judo, karate, and scuba diving. She is also quite a petrolhead...”
policies aimed at “responsible proactive fiscal policy”, which has three main pillars: namely, measures to counter inflation, investment in growth industries, and national security.
Other proposals include expanding local government grants for small and medium-sized businesses and making additional investments in technology, such as artificial intelligence and semiconductors.
She has taken conservative positions on social issues, such as opposition to same-sex marriage, to the recognition of separate surnames for spouses, and to female succession to the Japanese throne.
Unsurprisingly, Takaichi has been described as taking a “hard-line stance” on immigration. The New York Times stated that during her leadership campaign, “she seized on a wave of anti-immigrant sentiment.” Specifically, she has been described as wanting “tighter restrictions on immigration” and employing “anti-immigration rhetoric” during her campaign. During the campaign, she called for a “crackdown” on illegal migration. She emphasised that “foreigners must
strictly obey” Japanese law, stating that those who overstay their visa or abscond from justice should be treated as harshly as Japanese citizens.
Takaichi married a fellow member of the House of Representatives, Taku Yamamoto, in 2004. She took his
name legally, but has continued to use her maiden name in public office. They have no children together, but Takaichi adopted Yamamoto’s three children from a previous marriage. They divorced in July 2017, with Takaichi citing differing political views and aspirations as the reason for their separation. They remarried in December 2021 and have four grandchildren through her stepchildren.
Takaichi practices judo, karate, and scuba diving. She is also quite a petrolhead, having previously been a keen biker, and now owns a 1991 Toyota Supra A70 2.5GT Twin-Turbo Limited. During her early years in parliament, she used the car to commute to her workplace for over 20 years.
Takaichi’s Supra A70 served as a replacement for her Toyota Supra Celica XX. The car is currently on display in a local Toyota dealership museum in Nara. Takaichi is a heavy smoker and a known manga lover. She is a member of the Parliamentarians’ League for Japan’s Anime, Manga, and Games.
That Takaichi has made it to the top is all the more surprising and impressive, given the pervading traditional, conservative views across post-war Japan. A day after former Tokyo Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori made global headlines with his sexist comments, 23-year-old Momoko Nojo helped start a petition calling for action against him.
Mori, an 83-year-old former prime minister, had told a Japanese Olympic Committee meeting that women talked too much. When broadcasters and newspapers reported that he had handpicked another man in his 80s as his replacement, young women called for a transparent process, resulting in the appointment of Seiko Hashimoto – a much younger, female, former Olympics Minister – instead. It was a small victory for women, but one that by no means shifted the narrative on inherent gender bias.
The topic of gender equality continues to make headlines in Japan, for all the wrong reasons. A few days after Mori resigned, the ruling party made headlines again by announcing that, while it was willing to allow women to attend its all-male board meetings, they would not be permitted to speak.
These high-profile incidents come despite well-publicised policies aimed at promoting women’s representation in society, including an ambitious target announced in 2015 for women to hold 30% of leadership positions by 2020. The incidents coincide with a steady drop by Japan in global gender equality rankings; the World Economic Forum describes the country’s gender gap as “the largest among advanced economies”.
In 2025, the proportion of women in leadership or management roles in Japanese commerce stands at 11.1%. The same metric measures the UK at 35.3%.
One key factor is the persistence of traditional gender roles, which significantly reduces the pipeline of women into leadership positions.
“Historically, after World War Two, the combination of a hardworking husband who devotes his life to his company, and a stay-at-home mother, was encouraged,” explains Hiroki Komazaki, founder and CEO of Florence, a non-profit organisation which advocates for solutions that help working parents.
A 2020 government national survey showed that mothers still do 3.6 times more housework than fathers. Because of these norms – as well as hiring biases across Japanese businesses, together with the change-resistant working culture – many women stop working after having children, or opt for part-time or contract work that generally does not lead to promotions.
Whether Takaichi can do anything to improve these poor figures and even poorer attitudes, or even if she intends to, remains to be seen.
The Brighton Girl Awards 2026 launched in style at PLATF9RM Hove on Wednesday November 26th, with a room of 120 people excited to hear what the next few months of campaigning looks like. Pippa Moyle, Dynamic columnist and Founder of the City Girl Network, led the event, highlighting the different ways everyone in the community can get involved.
“What I realised last night was that this isn’t just a competition. It’s a call to action: to engage with each other, collaborate, build community, lift each other up, and strengthen the network of women-led businesses and initiatives across our wonderful city,” said Amy Gibson of Bang The Drum Events.
Dynamic Magazine’s ‘Brighton Girl New Business’ category has already got some very strong contenders, including
Remarkabull Marketing, Rachel Mailer Coaching, Beyond and Co, Pearson Keehan and Reformed Pilates.
Nominations are open until December 30th, where the public can put forward as many businesses, communities and individuals as they’d like. The Top Ten will battle it out for the Top Five spots announced on International Women’s Day (March 8th), and then judges will decide on the winners, who will be revealed on the March 19th at The Old Market, Hove.
SPONSORED BY
HONOURING THE WOMEN REDEFINING BUSINESS SUSSEX • SURREY • KENT • HAMPSHIRE
ENTRY DEADLINE: JANUARY 19TH 2026
EVENT: MARCH 26TH 2026 | THE GRAND BRIGHTON
SPONSOR A CATEGORY AND SUPPORT THE FOR MORE INFORMATION, EMAIL DYNAMIC@PLATINUMMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK
In our exclusive Spotlight feature, we highlight women who are doing good things in their community. They’re not always seen but we think they should be.
Only this month, Lissie has traded in a career in law for styling. Here is the story of her life-changing lane change
After a rewarding career as a solicitor specialising in Wills, Trusts and Probate, Lissie Squires made a big change. She left behind the legal world, which she had spent more than half of her life pursuing, and embarked on a new journey towards her true passion in fashion and personal styling. In November 2025, Lissie launched her business: Senaya Styling.
The law lost its sheen for Lissie when she didn’t feel that she was spreading joy the way she wanted to. It was a matter of feeling less fulfilled and wanting more personal satisfaction in her career. It was a process and a journey that began in January 2025 for Lissie to find the right next steps for her.
Feeling a little lost and unsure, Lissie worked with a business coach who helped her discover that the most valuable aspect of her job was helping people and making a difference to someone’s life. When Lissie realised that this was what she longed for in her career, she felt the best way to marry it to her passion was to start a bespoke personal styling service.
Since she decided to follow her long-held passion and become a personal stylist, Lissie’s transition to her new career has felt surprisingly natural. At its heart, styling is not about trends or rules: it’s about people. It’s about recognising personality, celebrating individuality, and guiding someone towards choices that make them feel confident, authentic and comfortable in their own skin.
“Lissie learned that the best service begins with truly seeing the person in front of you”
That belief is captured in her business ethos: “It’s about Your Style, not The Style.” Lissie’s aim is to bring the same integrity, warmth and exceptional client care that defined her legal career into a space that empowers clients in a different, but equally meaningful, way.
In her previous life, Lissie learned that the best service begins with truly seeing the person in front of you, through empathy, careful listening, and a deep understanding of each client’s needs. These are qualities that have defined every step of her professional life to date and will continue to be the bedrock of Senaya’s ethos.
Lissie speaks about her business with true energy and excitement: “Helping someone look great is wonderful, but helping them feel amazing, aligned, and truly themselves is where the real transformation happens”.
To learn more, get in touch with Lissie today at hello@senaya.uk or visit her website www.senaya.uk
Thirteen years ago, I was a sales director in a thriving publishing house in Surrey, working with the aviation and duty-free industry. On May 5th 2012, I lost my middle daughter Lucy to suicide at the tender age of just 22 years of age.
Her death shifted the ground that I walked on and my life as I knew it changed forever. In 2015, I left the corporate world to start the charity in her name, The Lucy Rayner Foundation. Through the grief, I educated myself about mental health and how issues can be masked in many ways, hidden in plain sight by the person who is struggling.
Often, it also isn’t recognised by GPs, family members and friends but the signs are there if you know what you are looking for. I had missed the signs and I didn’t want anyone else to feel the traumatic pain and despair that was felt by my entire family. So my daughter Emma and I began working in our homes. We wanted to start up a counselling service to support young people who are struggling and just offer space for them to talk.
I emailed and called counsellors and asked if they would support our efforts and work for free! We had a huge response, so the charity began in earnest, growing organically and steadily through the pandemic where we adapted and took our services online. I learnt everything there was to know about fundraising and spent hours filling in grants, just enough to allow us to grow bit by bit.
and lead from the front, changing how we operated. I had to put new systems and policies in place and understand the level of governance needed to remain transparent and open.
“The challenge for me was the transition. I had to learn very quickly to adapt and lead from the front, changing how we operated.”
In 2021, I became the CEO of the Foundation, as the growth meant we had to change our structure to a CIO, taking it from a small charity to a medium-sized charity with a small team of seven staff members. The challenge for me was the transition. I had to learn very quickly to adapt
All the while, I was overseeing a crucial, effective, high level of service to families. It was really tough! Today, we have 50 counsellors, support groups for men, women, families, the Surrey Suicide Bereavement Service and a progressive Schools Programme in the hope that we can turn the tide at primary school age and support children within the schools –PREVENTION is key for the future generations.
I dreamt of a day when I would open a Wellbeing Centre that bridges the gap between the NHS Services and GP waiting lists, which can offer tools and solutions to young people before they get to crisis. That day is becoming a reality for me and I look forward to opening those doors within the next two years.
www.thelucyraynerfoundation.com
To donate to The Lucy Rayner Foundation: www.thelucyraynerfoundation.com/make-a-donation
How
increasing your tolerance of risk can dramatically boost your success.
By Mary Taylor, Director at Mary Taylor & Associates
Most people tend to be risk-averse, or at least averse to more than a fairly small amount of risk. This is completely understandable and evolutionarily essential; human beings would not have survived as a species for long had they had no inbuilt aversion to risk.
Such risk aversion naturally tends to increase as the likelihood that a risk will affect something we consider essential in our lives. Income is a prime example of this – for most of us, our quality of life, and often our very survival, is closely linked to our ability to generate money. As such, most people are extremely reticent to take risks with their livelihoods.
There is, of course, a small proportion of people who are natural gamblers - the ones who take far more risks than most, and seem to actually enjoy doing so. Most of us know at least one individual like this, whose life appears to oscillate between huge highs and complete disaster.
There are, of course, many shades of grey in between – people clearly do not simply fall into one or other of the camps of ‘very risk averse’ or ‘natural gamblers’. However, in general, it is true to say that most people, at least with something as important to them as their income, tend to be quite risk-averse.
There is something very interesting about risk-taking, though. For most of us, our decisions about which risks to take and which to avoid are predominantly made based almost entirely on our perception of the level of risk involved, rather than the reality of it.
A commonly cited example of this is how many people will be very nervous about going on a plane, yet think nothing
“Human beings would not have survived as a species for long had they had no inbuilt aversion to risk.”
about getting in a car to drive to the airport – despite the reality being that many sources estimate the odds of dying in a car crash to be approximately one in 107, while the odds of dying in a plane crash are around one in 11 million.
Many factors affect our perception of risk, such as what we are familiar with, personal experiences we have had or heard about, media exposure, cultural background and cognitive biases. There is something else very interesting about
risk-taking. Increased risk-taking is repeatedly associated with increased success in business – but with an important caveat.
Greater risk-taking in business multiplies the chances of a successful outcome many times over for several reasons. It opens the door to greater innovation and experimentation, gives a competitive advantage when you are prepared to do something most others are not, and provides a wealth of learning opportunities whenever something does not work. In short, ‘You have to be in it to win it. ’
I see this all the time in my daily work. Clients who take greater risks tend to have a higher number of failures, it is true, than clients who play it safe – but they also tend to have significantly greater success. The key point is that when viewed as a whole, the successes achieved by the risk-taking clients usually far outweigh the failures endured by them, and far surpass the successes achieved by the clients who play it safe.
Pray’ are absolutely not reliable routes to greater achievement. Instead, what is needed is a realistic analysis of the actual level of risk, a dispassionate balancing of the risk against the potential reward, and robust risk management strategies to minimise the risks as much as possible.
So, where does all of this information get us? If you make good use of it, it can get you a significant competitive advantage. Given that most people are risk-averse and that increased calculated risk-taking is strongly associated with increased business success, being one of the few with an increased tolerance for risk can put you way out in front.
“Clients who take greater risks tend to have a higher number of failures than clients who play it safe but they also tend to have significantly greater success.”
However, and this is the crucial part, increased risk-taking in business is only correlated with increased success where the risk-taking is calculated. ‘Hit and Hope’ or ‘Spray and
The window of opportunity lies in the fact that most people’s risk decisions are based on perception rather than reality, with perception usually inflating the level of risk, often significantly. To increase your tolerance of risk, there is no need to put all your faith in positive thinking, start drinking heavily for ‘Dutch courage’, or spend every moment with as many fingers and toes crossed as physically possible. The formula is simple – be one of the few who factually and methodically analyse the reality of any risk, and base your decisions upon that information alone. Ignore your personal biases and emotional reactions, and go with what a perfect logician would. Take an accurate risk assessment, balance it objectively against potential rewards, and employ evidence-based risk mitigation strategies.
Very rarely is real business success the consequence of taking little or no risks – it is usually the result of taking multiple, calculated risks.
Mary Taylor has worked with top executives in many globally recognised brands, including Apple, Cartier, Ferrari, Dior, Pfizer, Prada and Sony, from which she has developed a unique understanding of corporate life at the top and the challenges faced there.
Mary’s extraordinary academic and professional background includes working as a leader in maximum-security prisons, as a corporate lawyer for a top international firm and being a qualified psychologist. Mary has over 20 years of experience as a coach and consultant, and draws on this wealth of knowledge to deliver hard-hitting advice and recommendations that have had major impacts on leading organisations across the world.
“For women in the later stages of their working lives, entrepreneurship is emerging not as a fallback but as a powerful route to empowerment”
By Dynamic Staff Writer
As the calendar edges onward and the familiar corporate ladder begins to look less like a climb and more like a loop, many professional women pause and ask: What next? For women in the later stages of their working lives, entrepreneurship is emerging not as a fallback but as a powerful route to empowerment - a way to reframe experience, agency and ambition on their own terms.
A recent study by researchers at Aalto University School of Business in Finland, together with collaborators at Copenhagen Business School and the Business School at Royal Holloway, explored this dynamic in depth. Published in Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, the paper draws on three waves of qualitative interviews (2010, 2016 and 2020) with women in late-career entrepreneurship in the UK.
4. Sense of achievement
There is a strong theme of pride and meaning. Setting and achieving business goals, doing work aligned with personal values and challenging stereotypes of older women in business all contributed to a deepened sense of fulfi lment. The study also cautions, however, that when entrepreneurial activity is discontinued, there can be a loss of identity, confidence and agency.
What makes this research especially relevant in the UK context is the setting of significant structural shifts, for example, the raising of the state pension age for women to 67 between 2026 and 2028. The authors note that for many older women facing shrinking job opportunities, entrepreneurship offers a proactive alternative rather than passive waiting.
What emerges from the research is a revelation of how mature women pivot from constrained career paths into ventures of their own making and fi nd in that movement four recurring themes of empowerment.
1. Critical consciousness
The study shows that many of the women interviewed described a growing awareness of life’s fi nite nature, of the thinning options in traditional employment, and of a decision point: either accept diminishing prospects or take the step into self-employment. Th rough that shift in thinking, they began challenging assumptions rather than accepting them.
2. Age as a resource
Rather than viewing age as a liability, the research participants reframed it as rich with potential. The women leveraged decades of career experience, professional networks, sector knowledge and interpersonal credibility to build ventures. In short, the skills accumulated over the years became their currency.
3. Improved agency
For professional women contemplating this route, the fourpoint pattern offers a useful framework:
• Recognise that late-career transition is in part about mindset - critical self-awareness opens the door.
• Treat age and amassed experience as strategic assets, not excuses.
• Focus on building agency: what decisions do you want to make, what boundaries do you set, what role will you play?
• Defi ne achievement on your own terms: it need not be scale-up, it may be sustainability or meaningful impact, but it must resonate with you.
It’s also worth bearing in mind the practical reality: this pathway is not without its challenges. Accessing fi nance, balancing other life commitments, reframing identity from employee to founder, and navigating age and gender bias all remain very real. But by reframing the journey, the late-career entrepreneur isn’t chasing what was but designing what could be.
In essence, entrepreneurship at this stage becomes less about proving you’re still relevant and more about affi rming that you’re ready - ready to direct your experience into something you own and shape, ready to move from validation by others to expression by you. Th at shift is at the heart of empowerment.
Launching and managing a venture allowed many of the women to reclaim control over their work, their schedule and their professional identity. Where previously they may have felt constrained by organisational hierarchies or gendered trajectories, entrepreneurship permitted a rewiring of power dynamics.
For the women reading this: if you’re sensing that the familiar career path feels no longer like home, spare a moment to imagine what you would build if you weren’t bound by what you already are. For many women in late career, entrepreneurship isn’t simply a fallback. It’s a platform. And your next act may just be the one you design for yourself.
By Dynamic Staff Writer
The November release of the Female Business Owners Index 2025 offers a clear snapshot of what many women running businesses in the UK are dealing with right now. Built from the experiences of more than 859 Tide and everywoman members, the report captures a year shaped by economic strain, shifting customer habits and rising costs. Even so, there is a steady thread of resilience running through it. Women are adapting, reassessing and keeping their businesses moving with a mix of realism and resolve.
According to the Index, 39% of women say this year has been tougher than last. That figure could have set quite a bleak tone, yet the wider picture is more interesting. Many women have leaned in rather than pulled back. More than half say they have put in extra hours to keep things on track. Almost a quarter have taken on a second job to support the business they believe in. It is not ideal, but it is familiar. People tend to fi nd a way when circumstances shift.
how they work. Many also mention caring roles or the ongoing juggling act around childcare costs.
These pressures carry weight. They influence the rhythm of a business in ways no balance sheet can measure. Yet the Index also highlights a strong base of skill. About 42% of women say their industry experience is their greatest support.
The report spells out the main pressures shaping this year. Slower consumer spending, rising costs and a general sense of uncertainty sit in the background of many decisions. About 36% of founders mention softer spending. Another 27% point to infl ation squeezing margins. A further 21% say the broader economic mood has affected their confidence.
Even with that mix, the tone never drops into defeat. It feels thoughtful and steady. Women are paying attention to what is changing and adjusting early. They are tightening where needed, holding their nerve elsewhere and making decisions with care. It shows that while the pressures are real, so is the ability to adapt.
One of the most relatable parts of the Index is how honestly it acknowledges the personal side of running a business. Among women in their forties, more than half say the transition to menopause could influence
THE FUNDING GAP
The Index also points Only 2.8p of every
“Taken as a whole, the Index not read like a list of problems. It reads like a snapshot of navigating a complicated with clarity and persistence.”
Meanwhile, 40% point to self-belief and lived experience. Around 16% say fi nancial or operational skills form part of their backbone. Women rarely enter business empty-handed. They bring perspective, instinct and experience shaped over many years.
ening the fi nancial be gradual, but the
A YEAR THAT TELLS
Another encouraging thread in the Index is the rise in practical tech use. About 28% of women say using AI in the past year has helped their business. Most mention time saved on admin or day-to-day tasks. Nearly 80% say the effect has been positive. It is not trend chasing. It is a simple case of using tools that make life easier.
Another of
Despite the weight of the year, ambition is still fi rmly in view. Around two-thirds of women expect their revenue to grow in the months ahead, and almost one in five believe that growth could be significant. Plans are already underway. About 44% of women intend to explore new markets, and 30% expect to invest in digitisation. Around 28% are considering expanding their teams, and 21% want to invest in skills. It is not dramatic or sudden. It is steady, thoughtful and long term.
Taken as a whole, problems. It reads ing a complicated shows the strain, but beneath it.
For many women home. The juggling. tion to keep going the quiet truth running is rarely loud. It careful decisions, thing you have built. women behind these 2025, but they will 2026 in ways that how they lead.
Download the report https://surl.li/iznlqk
Index does problems. women complicated year persistence.”
points to the ongoing funding gap. every pound of equity investment goes to businesses founded solely by women. It is a familiar problem and remains stubborn. Yet it also highlights how much potential is still waiting to be unlocked. More women are seeking alternative routes to finance and strengthfinancial story of their business. Change may the direction of travel feels positive.
the Index does not read like a list of reads like a snapshot of women navigatyear with clarity and persistence. It but it also shows the strength that sits
in business, this will feel close to juggling. The recalibration. The determinagoing even on leaner days. Perhaps that is running through the Index. Resilience often looks like small adjustments, and not walking away from somebuilt. If these patterns continue, the these businesses will not only survive will also be ready to shape fit who they are and
report here:
Jordan Cracknell is a UK-based financier and author who advocates for more women to enter finance and excel in the industry. A native New Yorker, she is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and also has an MSc in Finance from Baruch College in New York.
She has written a children’s book - You Can Count On Penny - to try to spread this message far and wide and to encourage young people to explore opportunities for themselves, even if everything they see subconsciously tells them these roles are for other people and not them.
The proceeds from her book are donated to Education and Employers, a UK charity which aims to provide young people with the inspiration, motivation, knowledge, skills and opportunities they need to help them achieve their potential.
With this, it’s about becoming as fluent in Excel as possible. When working in finance, you will use it far more than you expect. Even ten years into my career, I found myself in an advanced Excel course, brushing up on my skills. There is an excellent array of classes, both online and in-person. When I first started using Excel at work, I didn’t know how to do something fundamental, and I thought, for that moment, I would cry. There is no
need for you to find yourself in this situation.
This ties in with learning Excel and is its natural progression. Take a course (again, either online or in-personWall Street Prep is a great option) on financial modelling (DCF, M&A, LBO, etc.). At the very least, it’ll be informative. You’ll understand the intricacies of finance that much better. And it is a good base to go off of.
When I got hired at Deutsche Bank, it was after more than 100 cold calls. I’d find their information on LinkedIn or Bloomberg. Then I’d introduce myself and ask them for a coffee. Here’s a secret: everyone loves a coffee break, and most people take one every day. During the half hour or so, I’d not only tell them about myself but also ask about them. Get to know the person you’re talking to. What are some of
“Try to form a genuine connection. You never know who people will be in 10-15 years. All these coffee meetings will help fine-tune your interview skills.”
their hobbies? They may also be super into CrossFit. Maybe you both go to the same hair salon. Try to form a genuine connection. You never know who people will be in 10-15 years. All these coffee meetings will help finetune your interview skills.
There are a myriad of routes into finance. From corporate finance to research to trading and compliance. All work under the umbrella of finance and include financial components. However, each silo has its own language and necessary skills. A research associate will most likely choose a certain sector to focus on (Healthcare, Consumer). A trader might focus on metals. It is good to educate yourself on these various paths and what exactly is part of the role within.
At the beginning of my career, I went to a few meetings with Toastmasters. It’s a company that helps people improve their presentation skills. You both give and receive feedback after delivering a speech of some kind. My feedback was helpful. Without realising it, I waved my arms with a bit too much animation while speaking. Listeners found it distracting. Going
forward, I was cognizant of this. You may be adjusting your glasses or flicking your hair a little too much without realising it.
6
Have ethics. Reputation is everything in finance. Don’t be the person who yells at subordinates. Don’t try to role-play the movie Wall Street. You will quickly find yourself out of a job, or worse, in prison.
7
This is one of the biggest faux pas one can make in an office setting. Don’t do it. If you want fish, eat raw or go out of the office for it. For some reason, the carpets in offices retain the fishy scent for far longer than one expects. You can’t get away from it. It is a nightmare.
“Have ethics. Reputation is everything in finance. Don’t be the person who yells at subordinates.”
Most women know how to pull together the right people when a project needs direction. A good accountant, a trusted legal adviser, the colleague who always asks the question you had not thought of. It is second nature to create the right support structure in professional settings. Yet when it comes to health, many end up doing the opposite. Problems are only looked at when they reach a breaking point, and support is found in a moment of urgency rather than through planning.
There is another way to approach it. A personal health board is a small circle of professionals who help you look after your wellbeing with the same level of care you would give to your work. It takes the guesswork out of everyday health decisions and gives you a sense of steady support rather than last-minute firefighting.
Every board needs a chair, and your GP is the natural fit. They hold the broadest view of your health and can guide the direction of everything else. Regular conversations, even quick ones, help catch small changes early and can prevent unnecessary worry.
“A personal health board is a small circle of professionals who help you look after your wellbeing with the same level of care you would give to your work.”
A GP who knows your health habits, stress patterns, and any long-term concerns is far better equipped to support you, rather than seeing them only when something feels urgent — treating them as the chair shifts the relationship to something more collaborative and forward-looking. It also helps remove the guilt many women carry around booking appointments. A check-in does not need to mean something is wrong. It can simply be part of staying well.
The idea is not complicated and not indulgent. It is a practical way to organise the people you already rely on and fill the gaps with those who can genuinely help.
At its core, a personal health board encourages you to think about your wellbeing with a little more structure. Instead of juggling symptoms, Googling answers or hoping issues settle on their own, you have a group of specialists who understand your history, your lifestyle and your goals. It brings order where many women are used to improvising.
Just as a business board brings in experts for specific issues, your health board can include specialists who understand the nuances of your stage of life. A fertility doctor, endocrinologist or menopause specialist can shed light on symptoms that are easy to dismiss or misread.
Their role is not to complicate things but to provide clarity and help you avoid the confusion of piecing information
together on your own. Women often live with discomfort or uncertainty because they feel their symptoms are not serious enough to warrant a specialist. A health board reframes this. You deserve informed answers, not guesswork.
Food shapes energy, focus and emotional balance, yet many women end up eating reactively around demanding schedules. Days filled with meetings, deadlines and family responsibilities can make it challenging to eat in a way that supports the body rather than depletes it. A nutritionist or dietitian can help you understand what your body actually needs and how simple changes can stabilise energy levels, support hormone balance, and improve mood. Think of them as your strategy lead for the basics that everything else relies on.
Shoulder tension, back stiffness and old injuries often sit quietly in the background for years. These lingering issues sap energy and affect quality of life more than people realise. A physiotherapist or osteopath can help uncover what is causing the strain and how to correct it before it becomes a bigger issue.
They keep your body’s day-to-day operations running smoothly. Good movement support is less about fixing problems and more about teaching your body how to avoid them in the first place.
Pressure, responsibility and the invisible mental load all take a toll, even when life is going well. A therapist or counsellor offers the kind of insight that strengthens resilience, sharpens self-awareness and eases the weight of decision-making. Their role on the board should not be only crisis management. It is long-term clarity and steadiness. Many people say therapy becomes a space where they can hear themselves think, which is a rare luxury in busy lives.
Here you can add your masseuse, personal trainer, acupuncturist or sleep specialist. Or keep it simple. The board works because it is flexible. It grows and changes with your priorities rather than following a fixed formula. Some seasons call for more support, others for less. The aim is to create a team that helps you feel informed, balanced and looked after.
A personal health board is not another task to manage. It is meant to be a structure that allows you to take your wellbeing seriously, with the same care you give to everything else in your life.
“A personal health board is not another task to manage. It is meant to be a structure that allows you to take your wellbeing seriously”
By Kellie Miller Harbour
We have no prairies To slice a big sun at the evening— Everywhere the eye concedes to Encroaching horizon...
Bogland, a poem by Seamus Heaney, 1969, from the collection Door into the Dark.
Seamus Heaney’s poems use the bog as a source of powerful imagery that connects the past and present, and as a symbol of Irish history. He coins the bog as ‘black butter’ and uses it as a metaphor to mark history and memory. Given that the bog preserves, conceals, and eventually reveals the past.
Like Seamus, Barbara Burns incorporates the Irish landscape in her artworks. She is compelled to return to her roots on the West Coast of Ireland. Whether walking along the coastline or through the countryside, she absorbs the surroundings and constantly explores the relationship between land and sea, from craggy cliffs to soft, rolling landscapes. Rock next to soft earthy mounds, deep regular furrows on ploughed land to the sharp edges of cut bog.
Peatlands/bogs are wetlands that are critical for supporting a variety of species and biodiversity. They improve water quality, reduce floods and create a defence.
Rich inspiration is drawn from peatland and bogs. Barbara’s
work reflects this in its dark layers and a sense of buried history. She is fascinated by the difference between the commercial production of briquettes (used for household burning as fuel) and those excavated by landowners and locals, who are still allowed to dig for them for personal use. The commercial companies have now stopped production due to environmental concerns about the impact on the landscape.
– she works with strong intuitive marks, responding to the painting process taking place on the canvas.
“Like Seamus, Barbara Burns incorporates the Irish landscape in her artworks.”
Barbara brings back to her studio examples of bog to document and use as references for her work, in addition to collecting information, visual memories, photographs, and sometimes sketching as she goes.
She says: “I reflect the layers created within these objects, somehow recreating that on the canvas, taking into account colour and composition.”
Immersing herself in the paintings that come together in the studio - in a series of work from what memories allow
She always paints in oils with glazes that allow her to build the painting over several months, the story coming together in a process that evolves, selecting and eliminating forms and texture, until the final image presents itself, often using a long-established colour palette. The time taken to paint and the drying times required are a nod to the bog that forms at an incredibly slow rate.
Kellie Miller is an artist, curator, critic and gallery owner.
Kellie Miller Arts, 3 Church Street, Brighton, BN1 1UJ Brighton. kelliemillerarts.com Northern Sky Strata
A three-night stay in a phone-free cabin in nature. Guests lock away their devices, walk woodland paths, read books and reconnect with stillness. For someone craving space to think, this is an unforgettable reset.
unplugged.rest/
A guide to inspire with a year’s worth of travel destinations and experiences. It’s about unlocking the curiosity in all of us. Let the adventure begin...
shop.lonelyplanet.com/products/ lonely-planets-best-in-travel-2026
A slow, exploratory walk through woodland or coastline you learn to identify wild plants, herbs and fungi. The session focuses on safe foraging, simple tasting and reconnecting with the landscape in a more attentive way. It is an easygoing adventure that opens your eyes to what is growing at your totallywilduk.co.uk/foraging-courses
There is something irresistible about a gift that nudges someone the familiar. Not the grand, high-risk kind of adventure but the us that life is richer when we wander, explore and learn something ourselves. These gifts spark curiosity, energy and a little willingness
The South Downs is an Reserve and one of the explore the night sky. This introduces beginners to deep-space objects with It’s gentle, magical and adventurous spirit thrives
stargazingexperiences.co.uk/south-downsnationalpark-stargazing-experience-2-hours/
where session reconnecting easygoing your feet.
A beautifully photographed guide to Britain’s best wild swimming spots. From hidden rivers to dramatic coastal pools it invites discovery far beyond the usual walking routes. Perfect for anyone seeking a more elemental connection with nature.
wildthingspublishing.com
someone to step beyond the sort that reminds something new about willingness to say yes.
EXPERIENCE
an International Dark Sky the best places in the UK to This guided stargazing session to constellations, star lore and with high-quality telescopes. and ideal for someone whose thrives on wonder, not heights.
stargazingexperiences.co.uk/south-downsnationalpark-stargazing-experience-2-hours/
A friendly, empowering introduction to climbing. Sessions focus on technique, confidence and fun rather than athletic ability. It suits complete beginners and is a wonderful way to unlock a sense of capability.
theclimbinghangar.com/gift-cards
The classic gift for capturing movement, travel and messy, joyful moments. Light, rugged and intuitive, it lets even total beginners film their adventures with confidence. A brilliant way to encourage someone to document the stories they will tell later.
gopro.co.uk
A reliable, compact tent that fi ts easily into a backpack. Ideal for weekend wild camps or gentle fi rst-time camping trips. It encourages spontaneous nights under the stars without overthinking the gear list.
vango.co.uk/soul-200
By Tess de Klerk
You might have noticed that we just love The Grand Brighton here at Platinum Media. What’s not to love? Beautiful architecture, polished service, the fantastic Cyan restaurant, etc, etc and now, finally, a spa reopened. It feels like the final piece of the puzzle, bringing together that sense of old-school glamour and modern pampering.
Walk through the foyer, down the stairs to your left, leaving the hustle and bustle further behind with each descending step until you find yourself in a subterranean cocoon of calm and bliss. The stress of traffic and trials quickly floats away on soothing scents and dreamy music while you sip your complimentary green smoothie – all of this and you’re still only in the spa’s reception! It’s the kind of welcome that quietly persuades you to exhale without even realising you’ve been holding your breath.
“It’s the kind of welcome that quietly persuades you to exhale without even realising you’ve been holding your breath.”
The Grand has had spas over its long history, with this incarnation having increased floor space and a hydrotherapy suite with a Jacuzzi, hydrotherapy pool, steam room and spacious sauna. Sadly, there is no pool for swimming laps, but if exercise is what you’re after, then pop to the gym, which is included with your spa experience, then to the hydropool to massage away lactic acid, and on to the water beds of the relaxation room. You could easily spend an unhurried hour drifting between the different thermal experiences, letting the warmth, bubbles and soft lighting work their magic.
Better yet, book yourself a treatment. The Grand has partnered with the Swiss skincare brand L. Raphael to create a truly envy-inducing menu of face and body treatments. I can vouch for their use of pioneering skincare technology leading to results, well, that and the talented therapists of the spa. I walked into the lovely Ramona’s treatment room with dry, irritated skin. I was terrified that any exfoliation, which is part and parcel of facials, would leave my skin angry and reactive, but Ramona listened, looked and tailored my facial to exactly what my skin needed. By the end of my ‘Secret of Lake Geneva Customised Facial’, my skin was deeply nourished, calm and glowing. There’s something reassuring about someone who really knows their craft, someone who can read your skin and respond instinctively.
But that wasn’t even the best bit. No, my favourite bit of this fabulous day of relaxing and pampering at The Grand’s L. Raphael spa was the ‘Deep Muscular Massage. Here, Ramona could really show her talent, and that she did, homing in on problem areas, not letting go until my muscles melted under her touch.
Clearly, if you’re staying at The Grand, the spa is not to be missed, but if not, it’s a great choice for a cosy city spa day. Access to the thermal suite is available from £40, or you can view it as an investment in your health and wellbeing, with a £1,600 annual membership that includes unlimited access to the gym and thermal suite, plus complimentary treatments and special offers. It’s perfect for anyone who wants a little oasis of calm in the middle of Brighton, ready to retreat to whenever life gets a bit too much.
L. Raphael Beauty Spa and Wellness
The Grand Brighton, 97-99 Kings Road, Brighton BN1 2FW www.grandbrighton.co.uk/spa
By Lee-Ann McNicoll
Pampa Kitchen and Grill sits in what used to be a village home, giving it an intimate, slightly tuckedaway atmosphere. With only a few tables, it is easy to see why locals treat it like a bit of a hidden gem. It is family-run, which adds to the warmth, but it also means things get lively quickly. Once the rooms fill, the noise rises with it, so this is more of a chatty dinner spot than a quiet one on busy days. The outdoor space looked perfect for the sunny seasons, but it was not when we visited.
Their menu leans into Argentine flavours with Mediterranean touches. Steak lovers will feel right at home thanks to premium Argentine beef from grass-fed cattle, but there is plenty beyond that. Tapas, salads and a few vegetarian options, including a Beyond Meat burger, keep things varied enough for different tastes.
We started with the crispy squid with aioli, which was one of the highlights. Light, crisp and properly seasoned, it was the kind of dish you could happily order again. The two chorizo dishes landed differently. Chorizo al Vino had great flavour and a nice warmth, while the Chorizo Mariposa felt a bit underpowered. The only real disappointment was the grilled white asparagus, which tasted tinned and had definitely not seen a grill. Once we mentioned it, the team took it off the bill straightaway, which was appreciated.
The ribeye was the standout of the night. Tender, full of flavour and cooked as ordered, it showed why so many regulars rave about Pampa’s steaks. The fries were excellent, too. Golden, crisp, and generous, they were easily among the best we have had recently and paired perfectly with the steak. Some of the other dishes were fine but not especially memorable, which did not spoil the meal but left a softer impression.
“Their menu leans into Argentine flavours with Mediterranean touches.”
Dessert was a return to form. The Tarta de Límon was zesty and satisfying. It is definitely worth saving room for. The drinks list looked solid with enough variety, but we couldn’t properly explore it as we had a drive ahead of us.
Service was friendly in a relaxed, family-run way. Staff took their time checking in on tables without hovering and handled small issues with ease. It suits the size and nature of the restaurant.
Would we go back? Yes. Pampa was intimate, lively and good fun. The steak and fries alone are worth a return visit, and the overall vibe had an easiness about it. Not every dish hits the same high note, but there is enough here to enjoy. The two-course lunch at £19.50 is especially tempting, and on a sunny day, the outside area would make it even better.
Pampa Kitchen & Grill
1 Broad Street, Cuckfield, Haywards Heath, RH17 5LJ pampakitchen.co.uk
CHICHESTER CHRISTMAS CAROLS AT PALLANT HOUSE GALLERY
Gathered around our beautiful Bösendorfer grand piano, listen to the stunning voices of La Diva Choir from Bishop Luffa School as they fill the gallery with joyful harmonies. Surrounded by inspiring artworks from our collection, this special concert promises to be a magical start to the festive season.
Pallant House, Chichester December 11th www.pallant.org.uk
We will have every bottle across our range open for you to sample so you can make the best possible choice for your Christmas wines and gifts. Our team will be on hand to offer guidance and advice. You will be able to browse our range of wine gift packaging and gift ideas including our experience Vouchers and miniatures of Albourne 40 Vermouth (the perfect stocking filler!).
Albourne Estate, Albourne, West Sussex December 13th-14th, 20th-21st www.albourneestate.co.uk
ESHER
SANTA FUN RUN FOR PRINCESS ALICE HOSPITAL
Get ready to pull on your Santa suit and join us for one of our Santa Fun Run events! Together, we’ll spread Christmas cheer while raising vital funds to provide care this Christmas and beyond. So dust off your boots, pop on that Santa hat, and let’s make this Christmas truly magical for those who need us most.
Sandown Racecourse, Esher December 14th www.santafunrun.pah.org.uk
Buckle in for a rollercoaster of magic, music, and mayhem as our hero crash-lands in a crumbling town where only the longforgotten fables, a cantankerous caretaker and a glitching robot remain! Can they save the day, and the town called Christmas?
Brighton Dome December 27th-31st www.brightondome.org/whats-on/Lum-a-town-called-christmas
KINGSTON-UPN-THAMES
KINGSTON CHRISTMAS MARKET
A relaxed, intimate stand-up comedy evening held outdoors in garden surroundings. Local and touring acts perform in a unique setting, good for friends, couples or anyone wanting a lighter evening out.
Kingston Market Place, Surrey November 13th – December 28th 2025 www.kingstonchristmasmarket.co.uk
From the award-winning Stiles and Drewe (The Billy Goats Gruff, Honk!, Half a Sixpence) comes The Three Little Pigs – a “very curly musical tail” that is perfect for the whole family. This charming and witty adventure is full of catchy songs and clever rhymes which will have you squealing with glee as three superstar piglets set about defeating the Big Bad Wolf.
Chichester Festival Theatre December 6th - 28th www.cft.org.uk
The UK’s most beautiful Christmas ice rink is back, powered by renewable energy. With its unrivalled setting in front of Brighton’s iconic Royal Pavilion, and ice like glass, the rink has been welcoming visitors since 2010. It’s still the UK’s only Christmas ice rink powered exclusively by solar, wind and wave energy.
Brighton Pavilion October 28th - January 4th www.royalpavilionicerink.co.uk
A newly-launched festival combining live jazz/blues performances, food stalls, local culture. Spread across venues in Midhurst.
Guildford Castle & Grounds November 15th, 2025 - January 4th, 2026 www.illuminateguildford.co.uk
