Mark your calendars! The Lincolnshire Showground is delighted to announce the return of its International Women’s Day celebrations on Friday 7th March 2025, 9:30am-12:30pm
This annual event is dedicated to recognising the extraordinary accomplishments of women who have achieved something incredible from their Lincolnshire roots.
Join us for a morning of celebration at the EPIC Centre, where we’ll come together to celebrate, connect and inspire.
Ticket price includes a selection of pastries, fresh fruit and refreshments.
We can’t wait to see you there!
Our Host
Rachel Green
Chef, author, TV presenter, demonstrator and food campaigner Rachel Green has made a name for herself as a passionate ambassador of British produce. Coming from 14 generations of Lincolnshire farmers, Rachel’s message is that food doesn’t have to be complicated to be great. All you need are the best, locally sourced ingredients you can afford and to treat them with respect.
Our Speakers
Catherine Hobson - Author, "Take Away the Fear"
Catherine has been a resident of Lincolnshire for 3 years but a visitor to her family in Brigg for 18 years. She now resides in Caistor with her partner. Catherine considers herself as a "foodie" and has loved exploring all the great eating places this County has to offer.
Catherine has lived with life-threatening food allergies all her life and spent 9 months researching and then writing her first book "Take Away the Fear" to guide families, food business owners and all of us to keep people with allergies safe and included. Her book was an Amazon Best Seller in March 2024. Having spent 30 years working and volunteering with charities Catherine is now working business to business to make dining out a better experience for people with allergies.
Nicky Van Der Drift – CEO, International Bomber Command Centre
Nicky started her career in hospitality working in a number of hotels across the country. Following the birth of her first child she took a break from the industry and went to work at Sky TV where she honed her sales and marketing skills before moving into publishing where she got involved in sponsorship and event management amongst her other duties. This led, in 1999, to a move to the CLA where she took on the role as Head of Sponsorship with a main focus on their flagship event, the Game Fair. 15 years later and with her youngest child about to go to school, she left to start up Essence Management Consultancy which focussed on helping clients with event management and income generation.
She has led the IBCC project from the front since 2012. She has been responsible for raising the £17.8 million of funds through grant applications and generating public and private donations, all PR and marketing, organising all events from concept to delivery and overseeing the whole of the design and construction. She has also worked with the Chairman on international engagement and has been invited to present the project in like-minded organisations and institutions in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Holland as well as across the UK.
Nicky is married, has four children, two dogs and lives in the south of Lincolnshire.
Nikki Cooke – CEO, LIVES
Nikki Cooke comes from about as far away from Lincolnshire as it’s possible to get. Growing up in Auckland, New Zealand, she never imagined that she’d find herself living in the UK, let alone Lincolnshire which she’d never heard of. Career opportunities brought her to the UK, but it was love that brought her to Lincolnshire. And after 25 years she’s proud to call Lincolnshire home and can enthusiastically support England and the UK in all sporting endeavours except for rugby!
Nikki was the first person in her family to attend University but never really had a career plan and still doesn’t. An opportunity to hear the South African author Bryce Courtney speak in the early 1990s set her on a path of taking opportunities as they arose and left her with the motto “if you’re skating on thin ice, you might as well tap dance!”. So, after an exciting corporate career in the IT and tech sector just as the internet was becoming a thing, and a stint in the NHS, she is very proud to be the Chief Executive of LIVES, a charity that is unique to Lincolnshire and has a mission to save lives across our county. Along the way she’s had some amazing experiences and some mind-boggling challenges but is absolutely committed to honouring the people that have supported her journey and encouraging and supporting women to speak up in the workplace and in life.
Sarah Hardy – A Positive Life!
Sarah’s Method has evolved over 25 years, helping people to live a life of ease. When the body is not at ease physically, emotionally mentally and spiritually it becomes at ‘dis-ease’.
Focusing on just the physical problem is not enough. The body has its own amazing intelligence and when mind and body work in harmony, in many cases this can be enough to address issues. Sarah lives a ‘Positive Life’ which has been totally transformed using these practices, she reaps their rewards and benefits daily.
Her passion is to share these practices in a unique and bespoke way with others so they too can learn how to stay in the moment live a life of ease and allow the changes in life they are looking for in life.
Sarah uses an extensive range of practises and treatments, consisting of many professional qualifications in all aspects of holistic care including - Remedial & Sports Massage, Sports Injuries, Neuro Muscular Re-Education, Biomechanics of the feet, Mindfulness, Reiki, Yoga.
