As women’s history month draws to a close, ShefLive reached out to celebrate three local women and what they have done for our community.

Tracey Ford, Janet Blackburn and Gemma Burgin were all highlighted to us as having a significant positive impact on people within Sheffield.

Tracey Ford has helped the Sheffield community in multiple ways, from managing Sheffield Recovery Community Forum to being actively involved in the Ask For Angela scheme, she is constantly on the go, doing something that’s helping others. 

She said: “If someone had told my younger self that one day I would be standing on the grounds of the United Nations, holding up the Union Jack flag, I would have laughed and said, “You’re off your nut!”.

“Sometimes, I find it hard to recognize my younger self, but I will never forget her and all the struggles she endured, like domestic abuse and addiction, to become the woman I am today.

“My younger self is a constant reminder that there is always more to me than I think. Instead of seeking approval from others, she reminds me that the only approval I will ever need in my lifetime is my own.”

On her website, she speaks about her own journey in an honest and refreshing way, with her blogs having no hidden agendas, instead she speaks about her own lived experience. 

Tracey expresses this through poetry and is also currently writing a book that explores two stories about addiction with very different endings. 

Tracey specialises in user involvement, coaching and facilitating bespoke training, her work has had an incredible impact on our local community with her coordinating peer support groups for people in recovery and also their families.

People who are lucky enough to know Tracey have described her as ‘marvellous’ and a ‘personal inspiration’.

Her advice to all women is to never give up on themselves, there is more to you than you could ever believe. 

A quote that resonates with her is from Carl Jung, which goes ‘Those who look outside of themselves dream, but those who look inside of themselves awaken’.

Janet Blackburn was repeatedly suggested as somebody who is recognised to have raised significant amounts of money for one of our local hospitals. 

She has raised more than £50,000 for Western Park cancer charity through selling knitted novelties and more.

Janet has always knitted as a hobby and has fundraised for numerous charities over the years but switched to Western Park cancer charity after she and her late husband were both diagnosed with cancer themselves. 

It was not only personal reasons that she chose this charity but also due to the incredible nature of what they do for patients and families in order to make them feel as comfortable as possible in such a difficult time. 

Janet started her fundraising journey in October 2012 with the aim to contribute to a bigger chemotherapy unit in western park hospital.

After achieving this, the money has gone towards supporting patients and their families with a wide range of things including transport, financial advisors and alternative treatments. 

She recalled how she was taught how to draw her eyebrows on and was given makeup that matched her skin tone after undergoing her chemotherapy treatment and she could not praise them enough.

She told me how they put wi-fi into the wards as ‘patients come from all over and can be there for weeks and can now facetime their kids’.

She said: “You can’t put a price on these kinds of things.”

Her incredible knits have been widely recognised, with her even getting regular orders all the way from Taiwan.

Janet has been able to grow a team of five volunteers and despite rising costs everywhere, they have always made a conscious effort to keep prices down and get the wool from donations or their own pocket. 

She said: “Do something you enjoy and you will get a lot back, we can all do something to help no matter how small

“There’s loads of things you can do which aren’t as time consuming as this, you’ve just got to find what suits you as a person

“You don’t have to give a lot to have done a good thing for somebody.”

Janet’s knitted novelties has become her lifestyle but she explained how everybody can do something to help, even if it’s just asking a neighbour if they want a cup of tea, small things can be really positive. 

Gemma Burgin was also highlighted to us as somebody whose contribution to our community over the years deserved celebrating. 

She is helping people constantly, whether it is her day job as a Parkinson’s Nurse specialist or the Thursday nights that she gives up to volunteer with young people. 

Gemma’s job involves working directly with patients with Parkinson’s disease and their families, creating a significant positive impact on people that she works with. 

She has played a vital role in providing ongoing support and expert knowledge regarding Parkinson’s disease since 2002 locally.

Recently, Gemma has been awarded the incredible Queens nurse status, emphasising how much she cares for those around her. 

The Queens nurse status is given to nurses who have consistently demonstrated a high level of commitment to patients. 

When she is not working, Gemma gives up her free time to volunteer at Strong Minds Together.

This is a mental health support group aimed at 10-16 year olds that is run in the style of a youth club in order to create a fun, relaxing and welcoming environment.

The group runs games, crafts and provides sensory items alongside the option of an hour of fitness training and are free for people to attend.

This gives young people the opportunity to let off steam, make friends and also speak to group leaders about anything on their mind and receive support. 

Her words of encouragement to women would be to ‘always dream big’, something we all need to be reminded of.

She said: “Go after what makes you happy and remember to give back.”