Celebrating women
As we head into a new year, woman&home takes a look at the stars set to achieve big things in 2024
Vicky McClure MBE
In 2018, actor Vicky – who tragically lost her grandmother to dementia in 2015 – embarked on a deeply personal journey where she set out to discover the true extent of music’s power in combatting dementia. And from there, Our Dementia Choir was born. The Line of Duty star has opened a conversation surrounding the disease, which affects 850,000 people across the UK, resulting in reducing stigma and prompting sufferers to seek help. Since then, the choir, which is based in Vicky’s home town of Nottingham, has starred in two documentaries alongside performing at the National Television Awards and Splendour Festival. Meanwhile Vicky, 40, was awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours for her services to drama and charity. We can’t wait to see what the choir does next.
Figen Murray OBE
Figen is the mother of Martyn Hett, who was killed in the Manchester Arena terrorist attack in 2017. Losing a child is an unbearable pain but Figen, 61, was determined to make a change following the incident. She is in talks with the government, who are working on the finer details of ‘Martyn’s Law’, which is in the process of becoming legislation. The law aims to place a duty on qualifying public premises or events to take steps to reduce the threat of terrorism to the public. Let’s hope this comes to fruition in 2024.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
In April 2016, Nazanin was returning back to the UK after visiting her parents in Iran with her daughter, when she was detained for allegedly plotting to overthrow the Iranian government. After six years in prison, multiple hunger strikes, endless campaigns and political debate, she was finally returned home in March 2022. Nazanin, 45, and her husband, Richard, are now set to explain what really happened during her incarceration in their book, AYard of Sky, which tells the story that united the nation to bring a mother home.
✢AYard of Sky:AStory of Love, Resistance and Hope (Penguin) will be published in September 2024.
Heather Jackson and Sam Simister
Determined to improve the experience of menopause for women, friends Heather (pictured far left) and Sam (left) co-founded GenM. Partnered with 70 brands including Boots, Royal Mail, Next, M&S and Co-op, GenM is helping brands better cater for menopausal customers and employees, with menopause-friendly products, services, signposting, workplace policies and marketing campaigns. GenM recently launched the M-Tick, the world’s first recognisable menopause-friendly symbol.
Similar to the vegan V or gluten-free labelling, the M-Ti
