♀️Bath and Somerset’s Most Inspiring Women 2026 | Hannah Wilson
To mark International Women’s Day 2026, we’re celebrating Bath & Somerset’s most inspiring women.
Through our website and social media channels, we asked our readers which women in our community inspire them and created a list of 20. The list will be featured in our Spring magazine and every weekday throughout March we are profiling and championing each of these fantastic women online and via our social feeds.
Today we put the spotlight on Leadership Development Consultant Hannah Wilson.
Tell us about you and your work:
I am a leadership development consultant, coach and trainer. As a former headteacher, I set up the Belonging Effect (formerly known as Diverse Educators) – a DEIB training provider – and have grown a team of 15 training associates.
I relocated back to the South West in July 2023 and now live in Bath. I was looking for a women’s leadership network to join, and when I could not find one, I founded the Bath and North East Somerset Women’s Leadership Network (B&NES WLN).
What are you most proud of?
I hosted our first quarterly dinner in Oct 2023 and seven people came. I have networked in the region for two years and connected with so many brilliant women – it is exciting to see how the community has grown and to respond to the demand for an inclusive, authentic space for conversations about leadership.
Dinners in Bath evolved into coffee mornings, a book club, an annual conference, collaborations with the Bath Women’s Fund on history walks and with Bath University’s Amplify network on a mentoring project. We have now expanded to Bristol and host events there too.
Our network stats were shared at our annual conference in January, hosted by UWE:
- 721 people are in our soft network
- 295 people have attended an event
- 36 events have been held with 15 more planned
- 44 speakers have been amplified
I am proud to have grown such a beautiful community.
How does it feel to be recognised as one of Bath’s Most Inspiring Women?
I am delighted to be recognised in this way. It is a not-for-profit network and I have poured my passion and purpose into it, so I hope this nomination means that more women leaders in the region connect with our dynamic community. It also recognises everyone who has contributed, co-created and amplified the space.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
I always mark IWD in March, but the work continues on the other 364 days too! IWD is a day of celebration and being part of the community. This year, I spoke at an event at Bath Uni, attended an event at UWE, spoke at a LinkedIn Local event in Bristol and hosted a virtual event for my international network.
This year’s IWD theme asks us to think about how giving benefits everyone. What’s an example from your work or community life where supporting another woman led to something meaningful in return?
Emma Beeston, the Co-founder of the Bath Women’s Fund, ran an excellent workshop at our recent B&NES WLN Conference on the theme of ‘being generous’. It made us all think about how much we give and the different ways that we give.
I give and pay it forward by mentoring others, and as a former teacher, I always keep an eye on the next generation of women leaders. I am currently mentoring a young carer, an undergraduate and a young activist.
What piece of advice would you share with your younger self?
I use the Ikigai model with my coaching clients – find what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs and what you can be paid for. I feel blessed that my career journey has led me to this point and that my Ikigai is on fire most days!
This feature is sponsored by Milsted Langdon. Milsted Langdon is supporting this activity for a fourth consecutive year as they are passionate about supporting women in business and helping local communities thrive through their work with business owners, charities and not-for-profits.
