The focus of this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) is Give to Gain and at Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, we’re celebrating all the ways our people lift each other up - giving their knowledge, encouragement and experience to help others develop.
From national and organisational networks to peer support, we see every day how much personal development in our organisation happens because people lift each other up and share vital knowledge and resources.
Donna Chambers, Assistant Director of People and Culture, said; “This International Women’s Day we will embrace the theme of Give to Gain. HFRS recognise that meaningful investment in women’s development can unlock huge lasting impact.
“By expanding access to growth opportunities, leadership pathways and continuous learning, however big or small will strengthen our organisation and drive sustainable success. When we give opportunities for women to grow, HFRS gain innovation, resilience, a future of inclusive leadership and overall success.”
In keeping with the year’s theme, Give to Gain, here are some case studies from our staff on experiences and opportunities at HFRS.
Mentoring – Rachael Strong
As part of this year’s International Women’s Day theme, Give to Gain, we’re highlighting powerful stories that show how giving time, support, and space to others can help them unlock their potential. Mentoring is one of the clearest examples of this idea in action and this case study shows just how beneficial it can be.
Creating Space to Think
For Rachael, the most valuable aspect of the mentoring experience was simply having space - space to pause, reflect, and think about personal goals. In a busy, fast‑paced environment, intentional reflection can be rare, and mentoring provided a structured way to step back and reassess direction.
She described the conversations with her mentor as challenging in a positive way. They encouraged her to slow down, explore what she really wanted to achieve, and make decisions with renewed confidence. That clarity became the foundation for her next steps.
Learning to Plan for the Long Term
One of the biggest skills Rachael developed through mentoring was the importance of long‑term planning. Tracking progress wasn’t something Rachael had actively focused on before, but she soon realised how motivating and grounding it can be to look back and see how far you’ve come.
Mentoring also helped her recognise that she often already had the answers, she just needed someone to help her articulate them. Talking things through with a mentor helped refine her thinking and identify practical actions.
Recognising Her Own Capability
Perhaps the most powerful insight she gained was about herself. She discovered that she frequently underestimated how much she already knew and how ready she was to take the next step.
Through mentoring, she learned that she didn’t need to wait for perfect conditions or total certainty. She was more capable, and more prepared, than she’d given herself credit for.
Taking the First Step
Rachael’s proudest achievement wasn’t a project completed or a milestone reached, it was the act of reaching out for support in the first place. Although mentoring was something she had been thinking about for a while, she felt hesitant because her goals felt vague. But she took that step anyway, and doing so set everything else in motion.
Women in the Fire Service Development Weekends - Anna Brzenzinska
The opportunity to attend a WFS Development weekend is open to all staff, Anna, a Crew Manager and On-Call FireFighter took the chance. She saw it as the perfect moment to challenge herself, expand her skills, and gain fresh insight from women and allies across the fire and rescue sector.
Embracing Challenge and Building Confidence
For Anna, the development weekend was more than training, it was a chance to push past her comfort zone. From practical sessions to a challenging ice‑breaker unlike anything she’d experienced before, she found herself adapting quickly, relying on teamwork and discovering new strengths.
“What I’m most proud of,” she shared, “is how I embraced the challenges and came away with not only new skills, but a stronger belief in what I’m capable of achieving.”
Finding Connection and Shared Experience
One of Anna’s biggest surprises was discovering how many women across the fire sector share similar struggles, particularly around equipment not designed with female firefighters in mind. These conversations fostered connection, reassurance and a powerful sense of belonging.
Learning from Inspirational Leaders
A standout moment was the inspirational Q&A panel. Hearing women speak honestly about their career journeys - along with the sacrifices, resilience, and determination behind them - left a lasting impression. Their stories gave Anna a deeper understanding of what it takes to thrive in the fire and rescue service.
Bringing Skills Back to the Watch
Anna took part in several workshops, including a high‑rise session that aligned perfectly with ongoing work within her watch. She returned with new operational insight, a wider awareness of how other services operate and practical ideas now being explored within Humberside.
Growing as a Future Leader
Above all, the weekend helped Anna recognise her own potential. She left feeling motivated, confident and committed not only to her own progression, but to supporting others as they develop too.
“I’ve learned that I’m capable of far more than I previously believed,” she said. “Stepping out of my comfort zone has shown me the importance of pushing boundaries and helping others do the same.”
Voices for Women – Natalie Parkinson
Voices for Women is a staff group dedicated to creating a positive, supportive environment for women across the Fire Service. It provides a space where women and allies can talk openly, access advice, share experiences, and feel empowered to progress in their careers.
A Group Built on Support
When Natalie Parkinson became Co‑Chair of Voices for Women, it was at a moment of transition for the group. What she stepped into was not just a leadership role, but a community where women come together to talk openly, share experiences and support one another through challenges.
What makes the group meaningful, she says, is the way it creates space - space to speak honestly, to ask questions and to feel understood.
Voices for Women has become a place where members can pause and reflect in a service that often moves at a fast pace. It offers a chance to step back, think, and reconnect with what matters.
Learning From the Community
For Natalie, one of the most powerful parts of being involved in the group has been hearing the success stories that emerge from those conversations.
Whether it’s someone growing in confidence, taking on a new challenge, or simply feeling more supported, those small but significant moments show why the group exists.
One reflection that has stayed with Nat is that “Rome wasn’t built in a day, patience is a necessity of a working group and positive people engage more”.
She describes the experience as a continuous learning process - understanding what women need, listening to suggestions and working together to make things possible. The group itself grows through collaboration, innovation and support.
Over a Decade of Giving Back
Natalie’s connection to women’s development stretches back to 2011, when she became a volunteer representative for Women in the Fire Service (WFS). Over the years, she has supported more than 100 women, many through the WFS Training and Development Weekend - an event offering over 30 workshops designed specifically for women in the sector.
She says the best part is seeing women return from the weekend with renewed confidence, new skills and a sense that they’re not alone in their experiences. It’s a reminder of what shared learning and community can do.
Creating New Ways to Connect
One of the things she is proudest of is the Voices for Women Newsletter - a project created to keep women informed, inspired and connected. The second edition is already underway, continuing the aim of sharing stories, opportunities and insights from across the service.
Growing Together
What makes Voices for Women special isn’t just its activities, but the feeling it creates - a sense of belonging, reassurance and shared purpose.
The group’s strength lies in the simple act of giving:
- time to listen
- space to talk
- support to try something new
Through these small acts, women across the service find clarity, confidence and connection - and that is where the real impact lies.
Women to Work – Toni Proctor
In 2019, Toni Proctor was selected to take part in the Women to Work programme, an opportunity that arrived at a moment of significant personal and professional change. After more than a decade in a managerial role before joining HFRS, she felt ready to step back into a position where she could lead, support and develop people again. The programme offered her the chance not just to strengthen her skills, but to reconnect with herself.
Rediscovering Direction
At that point in her life, everything felt different. “I had recently become a single parent, started a new job and was feeling a little uncertain about the future. The programme gave me the space and support to reflect, reconnect with my strengths and think more clearly about my goals and aspirations. Most importantly, it helped me start building a plan for how to achieve them.”
Connecting With Others
One of the most impactful parts of the experience came from the relationships built along the way. Meeting colleagues from across the organisation helped Toni understand the service from a wider perspective and those conversations became a source of reassurance and motivation.
The course content itself also challenged her thinking. It pushed her to reframe negative mindsets, acknowledge the skills she already had and recognise the new ones she was developing. Little by little, her confidence began to rebuild.
Recognising Strength
A significant realisation came when Toni began to understand her own resilience in a new way. “I learned that strength isn’t about simply pushing through challenges, it’s about having the courage to stand back up when life knocks you down.”
Moving Forward With Confidence
Since completing the programme, Toni has continued to grow within the Service. "’I’ve progressed within the Protection Team, become a local representative for Women in the Fire Service and I’m now looking forward to chairing a new Neurodiversity working group. While the Women to Work programme may not have been the sole driver of my career journey, it gave me the confidence, motivation and skills that have helped me grow within the organisation.”
“Looking back, I’m incredibly proud of how far I’ve come and grateful for the role the Women to Work programme played in helping me get there.”