`Digital megaphone’ from SW women for International Women's Day #openforbusiness

MORE than 100,000 people will be reached in an online `Thunderclap’ for International Women’s Day today (March 8th, 2014) from Leading Women UK.

The successful campaign has been led by LWUK, the fastest growing female networking group in the South West of the UK. It was launched on Wednesday and hit its target with 16 hours to go to the noon deadline on 8 March.

It aims to have the region’s business voices heard worldwide with an online campaign to show, through pictures and social media messages, inspirational advice from businesswomen and men across Devon and Cornwall.

Participants were asked to post pictures on social media showing their best advice to women in the workplace with the social media `hashtags’ #womensday and #beyourselfatwork to link in with the International Women’s Day theme of #inspiringchange. These can be found on LWUK’s Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/leOwR0

The `Thunderclap’ drew the attention of a number of organisations online and went live today (8th March 2014) at midday.

Leading Women UK was founded in Cornwall by serial entrepreneur Rachel Jones and offers peer-to-peer support, mentoring, networking and free workshops for members. It launched in Devon just before Christmas and is the fastest growing all-female network in the county.

“We have been overwhelmed as to how women have come together to create a new way to celebrate International Women’s Day,” said Rachel.

“Social media has opened so many new doors for working women, particularly those working remotely and those isolated. Through the Leading Women UK Thunderclap campaign, women have embraced the concept of sharing their key message with others, key supportive messages which certainly match this year’s theme of `inspiring change’ – simply remarkable.”

Leading Women UK's Exeter branch was launched last month and 100 city businesswomen turned up to the evening event.

The next networking event of LWUK will be on Tuesday 11 March and will be hosted by Leading Women UK Champion Alexis Bowater of Bowater Communications and will begin at 7pm at the award-winning Moorland Garden Hotel near Yelverton - first time attendance is free.

At the evening of networking and inspirational speeches, Leading Women UK will also be revealing how a successful online, international, social media Thunderclap campaign, can be run.
For more information visit www.leadingwomenuk.com or @LeadingWomenUK