Advice and inspiration from the women of Sheffield Children’s!

As we mark International Women’s Day in 2025, we are so proud that 83% of Sheffield Children’s colleagues are women working in a huge variety of roles, we asked them to share their wisdom with us.

International Women’s Day was founded over 100 years ago to campaign for women’s rights – including the right for women to work. As we mark International Women’s Day in 2025, we are so proud that 83% of Sheffield Children’s colleagues are women working in a huge variety of roles including: radiographers, porters, improvement facilitators, nurses, finance officers, surgeons, cooks, therapists, teachers, volunteers, and lots more too – including our chief executive Ruth Brown and chief nurse Yvonne Millard!    

Together they all help provide outstanding care for children and young people and Sheffield Children’s would be a very different place without them.   

This International Women’s Day you can find out more about some of the brilliant women we are celebrating in our human library which you read below, and you can visit in person on Saturday 8 March at the Moor Market! 

Jenny Featherstone, Team Leader for Community Physio and Occupational Therapists teams

What do you love about your role at Sheffield Children’s? 

I love working for an organisation whose values match my own, with a culture of kindness and growth and in a role which allows me to get the best out of everyone. 

Who inspires you? 

My friend Laura. She was the best occupational therapist I have ever known. She embodied kindness, generosity, humility and courage. I think of her every day in everything I do and her memory gives me incredible strength and guidance. 

What one piece of advice would you give to your younger self about starting a career in the NHS? 

Take your time to get to know the people who make the NHS the incredible organisation that it is. You can learn so much through listening to their stories with curiosity. 

Ruby Smith, Associate Director for Delivery and Improvement 

What do you love about your role at Sheffield Children’s? 

My job is amazing because I get to see lots of different ways the Trust is making things better for children. I’m always in awe of the people making all these things, big and small, happen. One of my favourite things to do is work from the Costa in Outpatients – I love hearing kids playing and watching parents interacting with their kids whilst they wait for their appointment. 

Who inspires you? 

Honestly, everyone in different ways. For me inspiration isn’t about looking for someone to idolise, it’s about seeing what’s remarkable in each person and the reality of that means that everyone regardless of age, experience, background is, exactly as they are right now, inspiring. 

What one piece of advice would you give to your younger self about starting a career in the NHS? 

Sometimes I wish I’d joined the NHS sooner because I’m slightly envious of people who know how everything works and know their way around the maze-like buildings! But, at the same time my experience outside the NHS was so useful to bring in. 

Becky Joyce, Strategy and Partnerships Director

What do you love about your role at Sheffield Children’s? 

The great people that I work with throughout the organisation. The absolute shared purpose colleagues have in caring for children, young people and families. 

Who inspires you? 

Many people… my Granny (now sadly passed), Harriet Tubman, Nelson Mandela, Serena Williams, the list goes on…. 

What one piece of advice would you give to your younger self about starting a career in the NHS? 

Believe in yourself, don’t take things too seriously, stay true to your principles and values… And look after yourself along the way – leadership is a journey not a sprint.. 

Sarah Baker, Improvement Programme Manager

What do you love about your role at Sheffield Children’s? 

Getting to work with passionate people to make a tangible difference for families. I love being able to always look for ways to make things better and especially reduce Health Inequalities. 

Who inspires you? 

Sir Michael Marmot – Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health 

What one piece of advice would you give to your younger self about starting a career in the NHS? 

What grade you are doesn’t matter, how you behave to others and the things you improve do matter. To aspire to be the Chief Executive will not change the world but your next conversation may. 

Izzie Rider, Continuous Improvement Facilitator

What do you love about your role at Sheffield Children’s? 

I love the variety of my role. We have so many teams at the Trust, some of which deliver highly specialised care, so getting to know new people and find out more about different areas of the hospital is often really interesting. 

Who inspires you? 

My Aunty Clare – she is such a loving and generous soul and I always value my conversations and time spent with her. She is so brilliant at listening and always has such interesting and useful perspectives as a woman in the generation above me. I love her very much! 

What one piece of advice would you give to your younger self about starting a career in the NHS? 

Believe in yourself a bit more! Keep reflecting on your progress and the skills and you continually build. Celebrate your achievements no matter how big or small! 

Priya Narula, Consultant Paediatric Gastroenterologist, Clinical lead for healthcare transition and Director of Postgraduate Medical Education

What do you love about your role at Sheffield Children’s? 

It is a privilege to be part of my patients’ journey. I am particularly invested in work to ensure young people have a high quality healthcare transition to adult services. As an educator, I understand the importance of enabling the delivery of high quality postgraduate medical education to help drive improvements in patient safety and compassionate care. 

Who inspires you? 

I have been inspired by many individuals over the years including my patients and colleagues. I would however like to give a special mention to my mother who I have always considered to be a trailblazer. She is a retired paediatrician and was one of the first female medical students at the university she attended and overcame many challenges that women faced in her time to balance a very successful career and home life. 

What one piece of advice would you give to your younger self about starting a career in the NHS? 

Don’t take yourself too seriously and enjoy the journey… 

Amy Page, Project Manager

What do you love about your role at Sheffield Children’s? 

I love having the opportunity to work with different teams – everyone is so determined to improve the experiences of children and young people. I have the space to be thoughtful and creative in my role and I’m encouraged and supported by colleagues who are happy to hear my ideas and help me work through the tricky bits 

Who inspires you? 

The women in my new team have really inspired me and changed the way I feel about my career. They are doing an absolutely fantastic job making sure they look after their colleagues, themselves and their families and have made it me believe again that a career doesn’t have to come at the expense of everything else. 

What one piece of advice would you give to your younger self about starting a career in the NHS? 

The NHS is like an entirely separate world that you start to live in, and your colleagues become like another family to you. This makes it amazing but it’s possible to become so used to the way things are done it can be hard to think of ever leaving it Keep being curious about the world outside the NHS and engage with colleagues in different sectors or organisations or go and learn a totally unrelated skill. 

Ellie James, Improvement Project Manager

What do you love about your role at Sheffield Children’s? 

I love how diverse my role is. The projects that I work on each have a different purpose, have their own set of challenges and take me to various areas in the Trust, and so no two days are the same. I also get to collaborate with a wide range of colleagues, who I’ve learned and continue to learn a lot from. The biggest privilege is playing a part in solving problems or implementing processes that enhance patient safety, care, and overall experience. 

Who inspires you? 

My mum has been a Ward Clerk at Shrewsbury Hospital for over 20 years and was my original inspiration for wanting a career in the NHS. She would share stories with me about how she helped patients, which could be something as simple as tracking down a pair of misplaced reading glasses. Those small acts had such a meaningful impact on the patients’ experience, and I knew then that I wanted a job where I could help others. 

What one piece of advice would you give to your younger self about starting a career in the NHS? 

Don’t expect to grow if you stay inside your comfort zone!