Bold Brave Wonder Women of Islington
Celebrating the heritage of north London’s female change-makers
Bold Brave Wonder Women of Islington shines a light on the stories of north London’s female change-makers from the late 18th century onwards, celebrating women who have made a positive difference to society.
Bold Brave Wonder Women of Islington is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, the project, delivered in partnership with The London Archives and London Museum, will inspire and empower young women in Islington through a programme of training, visits and research. Working creatively with local women of all ages and backgrounds, a team of 8 Community Producers will learn about, share and interpret women’s stories, sharing them with the wider community through social media, printed zines, a podcast, guided walks and a community festival in 2026.
Background to the project:
In 2017 BBC Radio 4 commissioned a report to find the best and worst places to be a woman in the UK - Islington was voted worst! A group of local women leaders disagreed and came together to tell a different story. Throughout its history, Islington has been home to courageous, radical and pioneering women who have shaped the world around them - Andrea Levy [b. 1956] – novelist and author of Small Island, Edith Garrud [b.1872] - the jujitsu suffragette, Valda Louise James [b.1928] - the first black woman to be elected to Islington Council, Mary Wollstencraft [b.1759] – the original feminist and Arsenal Women FC – the most successful English women’s football team of all time - are among the wonderful women whose stars have shone brightly here, blazing the trail and lighting the way for us to follow. Islington4Women invited women to nominate their Bold Brave Wonder Women of Islington - some of who can be found here. This new Bold Brave Wonder Women of Islington project will take these stories as a starting point and add new ones. A team of young women, employed as Community Producers, will explore, interpret and share them with the wider community through new creative works, offering inspiration to and preserving these important stories for new and future generations of local women and girls.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players we support projects that connect people and communities to heritage. Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.
8 BOLD BRAVE WONDER WOMEN OF ISLINGTON for International Women’s Day & Mothers Day [March 2026]
Andrea Levy - illustration by Chante Timothy