
Women Mastering Change Marks Milestone Gathering at Parliament
Hosted by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE DL, Patron of Mastering Diversity CIC, and curated by Bernie Davies, Founder of Bernie Davies Global Ltd and Mastering Diversity CIC, the event brought together guests and speakers dedicated to empowering women navigating change, as well as the men who champion their journeys.
Business leaders from organisations across Wales including NatWest, Hugh James, FinTech Wales, Deloitte, Browne Jacobson, Women in Change, Education Wales, Commonwealth Games Team Wales, Welsh Ambulance Services and many more joined to demonstrate their ongoing support for the movement and highlighting the importance of regional leadership in driving national change.
Key speakers included Josianne Nduwiman, a representative for the First Lady of Burundi Angeline Ndayishimiye, Julia Reynolds (Partner at Leigh Day), Andrew Martin (Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre & Mastering Diversity Board Member), Blessing Mutamba (NatWest), Gwen Morgan-Evans (Hugh James), and Kobena Amissah from the Mastering Diversity Youth Board. Each speaker brought perspectives on resilience, leadership, and allyship.
A highlight of the event was the launch of a short film version of the 'Mastering Diversity' documentary, co-written and co-produced by Georgios Dimitropoulos. The full feature documentary is set to premiere on July 10th, 2025 at the NatWest South Wales Hub.
Bernie Davies said:
'It was an honour to welcome such remarkable changemakers to our 3rd annual Women Mastering Change closed session. With the esteemed Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson as our host, the event became a powerful celebration of resilience, empowerment, and purposeful leadership. Together, we affirmed our shared commitment to inclusive progress and creating space for every voice to be heard. This spirit of collaboration and transformation will carry us forward to the Global Empowerment and Inclusion Summit at the United Nations in Geneva this June, where we'll continue amplifying voices and driving meaningful change on a global stage.'
The event is one of the many events Mastering Diversity CIC is hosting throughout 2025 to tackle and discuss fundamental culture challenges required for fostering an inclusive Wales where diversity is not just celebrated but actively encouraged.
Founder Bernie Davies and her Youth Advisory Panel are heading to the Palais des Nations, United Nations Headquarters in Geneva on the 26th June 2025 for the Global Empowerment and Inclusion Summit 2025 which will be bringing together global thought leaders, youth advocates, policymakers, and changemakers to spotlight Cultural Exchange, Youth Empowerment, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) in sports and technology.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
ALEX BRUMMER: Banks face a fintech coup
The long and winding road back for NatWest from oblivion to robust domestic lender is complete. Paul Thwaite, the bank's chief executive post state shareholding, can enjoy the new freedoms. He has made no secret of his ambition to build on NatWest's already powerful presence through acquisition. As a standalone franchise, NatWest can now say what it thinks again. We know what happened to Thwaite's predecessor Alison Rose when judged to have spoken out of turn about the banking relationship between NatWest's posh offshoot Coutts and Reform leader Nigel Farage. NatWest's chief and his opposite number at Lloyds Charlie Nunn speak as one. With bank profits soaring and some Government members and backbenchers eyeing up the finance and wealth as tax targets, they are concerned. One can see why Labour might regard NatWest's first half operating profits of £3.6billion, up from £3billion in the same period last year, as easy meat. If the bank can afford to buy back £1.5billion of its shares this year, recompense for taxpayers might seem in order. Indeed, the bank has increased its income guidance for the full year to £16.5billion from £16billion. Partly that reflects additional income from the Sainsbury's bank deal, as well as lower than expected bad loans. Good times do not last forever and a profitable bank, with healthy capital, ought to be good for UK growth. NatWest, Lloyds and the other banks have no room for complacency. A note from NatWest-RBS neighbours in Edinburgh, Scottish Mortgage, run by Baillie Gifford, extols fintech. It praises pioneers Stripe, Wise, NuBank, SEA, Revolut and others for building 'scale financial systems' and broadening access. Unless the incumbents can catch the digital train, High Street lenders could – like IBM – become sunset companies, as Microsoft, Nvidia et al sprint off with the prizes. Powell play After ugly scenes in the Oval Office in February, when Donald Trump berated Ukraine's President Zelensky, it might have been hoped self-restraint had been learned. Trump was at it again on Thursday. This time, the victim was Federal Reserve chairman Jay Powell. Trump, as a real estate magnate, has an expertise in renovation, yet quite why he felt it necessary to don a hard hat and tour the repairs to the 90-year-old Fed headquarters is puzzling. As the two men toured, with Trump towering over the diminutive Powell, it was an obvious ambush. Trump magicked a piece of paper from his pocket and questioned alleged $3billion of costs and an overrun. The clash had little to do with concrete and plumbing, and everything to do with central bank independence. Trump is engaged in a crude campaign to bully Powell into cutting the key Fed funds rate from 4.25 per cent to 4.5 per cent to support output. The greater the pressure, the more likely it has been that Powell would hold the line. He has nothing to lose by being obdurate. His most notable legacy could be his bravery in standing up for the Fed. Fashion refit The controlling Lewis family is taking flack for playing hardball with River Island landlords and reshaping its retail portfolio. The objective is to keep the brand on the High Street in long-term ownership rather than condemn it to administration or rapacious private equity ownership. That rarely ends well.


Business News Wales
13 hours ago
- Business News Wales
Legal Partnership to Help Hospitality Sector Reassess Covid Claims
Law firm Hugh James has partnered with UKHospitality to help its members access legal advice around Covid-related business interruption policies. The Cardiff-headquartered firm has already secured multiple victories for policyholders – rulings it describes as 'landmark' – and which it says open the door to reassessment for many businesses. It describes the hospitality and leisure sectors as among the hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, with thousands of businesses faced with long closures, staff furloughs, and 'devastating' losses. Many were unable to claim on their business interruption insurance policies, but Hugh James says the rulings it has won to date mean that if a business' claim was previously denied, or never made at all, there may still be a strong case for compensation. The legal limitation period to bring claims is March 2026, but Hugh James will be closing its intake on 23 February 2026 to ensure every client's case can be properly assessed and progressed in time. The rulings Hugh James has worked on include: A High Court victory for a Michelin-starred Welsh restaurant, setting a precedent for businesses affected by closure and access restrictions. A £7.5 million arbitration win for hair and beauty salons across the UK under the 'Salon Gold' policy. A Court of Appeal judgment which clarified insurer obligations and opened the door for thousands of previously unsuccessful claims to be reassessed. The firm said: 'We've supported hundreds of clients across the hospitality and leisure sectors, from independent bars and pubs to national hotel chains and franchise gyms. Our success has come from detailed policy analysis, proactive litigation, and a deep understanding of sector-specific challenges.' A spokesperson for Why Not Bar, Cardiff, said: 'Without Hugh James, we wouldn't have known we had a valid claim. They helped us challenge the rejection, made the process stress-free, and delivered results.'

South Wales Argus
15 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
NatWest set to increase fees for thousands of customers
It will cost more for cash payments, cheque transactions, and certain online transfers on business current accounts. From 30 August, the fees for cash payments into and out of business accounts will rise from 70p per £100 to 95p per £100. Cheque payments, whether processed manually or via mobile, will also increase from 70p to 75p per cheque. EarthSense, a Leicester-based scaleup specialising in air quality monitoring technology, secured funding from NatWest by leveraging its intellectual property as collateral. Read more here: — NatWest (@NatWest_Help) September 12, 2024 According to WalesOnline, he bank is also raising some charges related to its BACS payment system. The BACS system, a UK payment network utilised by businesses for electronic bank-to-bank transfers such as Direct Debits and Direct Credits, will see the fee for processing each individual payment or instruction rise from 18p to 21p. The cost to process a file containing multiple payments or instructions will also slightly increase from £5.25 to £5.35. Business bank accounts are typically used by self-employed individuals, small business owners, charities, and community organisations to manage their finances. A spokesperson for NatWest stated: "NatWest is changing the prices of some business banking services. It's been seven years since day-to-day banking charges have changed for our business customers. The cost of providing services has gone up so we've had to review our charges." NatWest confirmed that the new charges will remain fixed until at least September 2027. However, not all customers will be required to pay them, as eligibility is determined by individual circumstances. Businesses and organisations currently enjoying free banking are not affected by the increasing charges. This includes new businesses with a turnover of less than £1million, who receive free banking for their first two years. Charities and community organisations with a turnover of less than £100,000 are also included, provided they maintain their eligibility. Recommended reading: Established businesses with a turnover of less than £2million are also covered, but only for two years after switching accounts using the Current Account Switching Service. NatWest continues to offer business bank accounts without a monthly fee. Several other banks, including HSBC, Virgin Money, Monzo, and Co-operative Bank, also offer business banking without monthly fees. However, service charges vary, and not all digital banks permit cash deposits or withdrawals.