IT IS now my pleasure to announce the winner of The Salisbury Five – Votes For Women, which was a very important part of the recent Salisbury History Festival.

It has been refreshing to highlight the lives of Florence White, Lady Hulse, The Spitfire Girls, Lady Jo Benson and Rosemary Squires – all outstanding women in their own right and a credit to the city of Salisbury.

The winner is Lady Jo Benson who will be awarded a trophy in the very near future. My thanks go to the researchers who helped write the essays, to everyone who took the time to vote and to all the establishments who helped with voting slips and advertising.

The history of women in Salisbury is very important and it is therefore excellent news indeed that the message will continue through ‘Her Salisbury Story’.

This group aims to bring Salisbury’s heritage alive through the exploration of previously hidden women’s narratives, celebrating the lives of Salisbury’s women past and present. 2020 marks the 800th anniversary of Salisbury’s foundation.

‘Her Salisbury Story’ aim is to ‘write in’ women’s experiences of Salisbury ensuring women’s contributions are seen and valued as intrinsic to the city and its development – the group is looking for volunteers to help with this exciting project in a variety of ways.

Can you see yourself helping to research historic women or interviewing women of today who have contributed to their local community or wider society? These are two of the volunteering opportunities available.

‘Her Salisbury Story’ are keen to recruit volunteers from a wide variety of communities in the city and nearby towns and villages. You can also nominate a woman to be researched/ interviewed. Go to hersalisburystory.com for details.