Women in Timber reveals speaker line-up for 2026 seminar

With just two weeks to go, excitement is building for the second Women in Timber (WIT) Seminar, taking place at Oulton Hall, near Leeds, on Thursday 1 October – with the event is officially sold out!

Following the success of the inaugural seminar in 2025, this year’s event brings together an inspiring line-up of women from across timber, forestry, business, sport and wellbeing, with a programme centred around resilience, confidence, career journeys and backing yourself.

The speaker line-up includes:

Danielle Thornton-Walker – Danielle Louise Coaching

With over 15 years’ experience supporting individuals and teams across education, leadership, business and professional development, Danielle is a transformational coach and mindfulness practitioner.

Danielle will explore resilience, self-awareness and practical ways to look after our wellbeing while working in demanding environments.

Nicole Allison – Founder and Director of Worcester City Women FC – Worcester City Women FC

With more than 13 years’ experience across women’s football, Nicole will share insights from her career in sport, leadership and business, including her journey to founding Worcester City Women FC and her mission to create meaningful opportunities for women and girls in football.

Katie Gunstone – Mums Achieving More / Juha.co.uk

A working mum, coach and founder of Mums Achieving More, Katie will share her experience of balancing career, motherhood and ambition, with a focus on confidence, career progression and defining success on your own terms.

Kate Hawley – Area Operations Manager – Forestry Commission

Drawing on 16 years with the Forestry Commission, Kate will share an honest reflection on building a career as a woman in forestry, how the sector has changed and the challenges that remain.

She will also perform her original spoken-word piece, If I Knew Back Then, exploring confidence, ambition and the lessons she would share with her younger self.

Samantha Hanks – Founder and Director – The Support Yard

Samantha, founder of The Support Yard CIC, will focus on mental health and wellbeing, exploring how we can move beyond awareness to create practical, meaningful support.

Through collaboration, honest conversations and practical engagement, she is helping to create a stronger, healthier and more connected industry.

Sonia Robinson –  Founder & MD – Southern Oak

Sonia’s story is one of courage, change and backing herself. Following redundancy and significant personal change, she took the opportunity to establish Southern Oak Ltd, building it into an established specialist oak-framing business.

Sonia will share the real story behind her journey, from taking a chance on herself to recognising that it is never too late to embrace new opportunities, trust your experience and back yourself.

The day will also feature networking, a panel discussion and plenty of opportunities to connect with other women working across the timber sector.

Women in Timber is also proud to support the Timber Trades Benevolent Society (TTBS) through their event, including holding a charity raffle on the day.

With over 170 tickets sold, this year’s seminar has grown significantly from the inaugural event and demonstrates the appetite for bringing women from across the timber sector together to connect, learn, share experiences and celebrate each other’s achievements.

Find out more about Women in Timber Seminar 2026 – Women In Timber Seminar 2026 – Women in Timber