Thirteen girls from the newly formed WBHS Soroptimists group (Whitley Bay High School) attended an after school meeting with Dame Vera Baird QC, MBE.
Dame Vera told them how she had come from a poor family and was the first to go to university and how she thought about a few different things like medicine before deciding on law, what it was like to be a junior barrister then a senior QC, then an MP and Solicitor General. They were fascinated by her careers and asked some searching questions including questions around any sex discrimination she had faced. She also gave them some insight into very high profile cases she had fought at the Old Bailey representing women who had murdered their husbands after being abused for years
We were there about 90 minutes (it was supposed to be 60 but they asked so many questions) She really related to the fact they are at a point in their lives where they need to make choices about careers and she finished by telling them they could be anything they wanted to be if they worked hard and to go out and conquer the world.
I asked them afterwards what they thought of the session and they said they found her inspirational.