![[Photo of Jenna Fansa, Michelle Dornelly, Nicolette Nixon, Fran Ayala [Credit: Jenna Fansa; Michelle Dornelly; Nicolette Nixon; Donna Ford Photography]](https://i0.wp.com/hackneypost.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IWD-FEATURE-PIC-copy-e1773322764543.jpg?fit=1736%2C1010&ssl=1 "IWD FEATURE PIC copy")
This International Women’s Day, we want to shine a light on some of Hackney’s most inspirational women.
Michelle Dornelly
Michelle Dornelly, founder and CEO of Hackney-based charity Children With Voices, has been supporting disadvantaged children since 2010, and tackling food inequality through The Community Food Hub. She has supported over 100,000 families and distributed more than 300,000 meals across Hackney.
Her proudest achievement has been supporting “children and families who might otherwise fall through the cracks”, she said.
Dornelly has won the Pride of Britain Award (2022), the Mayor of Hackney Civic Award (2021) and Inspirational Woman of the Year (2022).
She said that her biggest inspirations have been the women closest to her: “My mother showed incredible resilience raising us despite her own challenges, and that shaped my work ethic and determination. My daughter also inspires me deeply.”
Fran Ayala
Fran Ayala founded ‘Bitches in Stitches’ in Hong Kong in 2021 along with six other women; an all-female stand-up comedy collective now based in Hackney.
“I am so proud of how far we’ve come,” she said. “We started out five years ago with six members, and now we’re in three different countries and there are around 90 of us.”
She added: “In our first two years, we sold out of thirty shows in a row. It was incredible.”
Aiming for one show per month, Fran’s inspiration is women with a passion for comedy who were never given the opportunities as non-female comedians.
“Instead of offering women a seat at the table, I figured we should just build our own,” she said.
Jenna Fansa
Jenna Fansa, head of communications and fundraising at Hackney Foodbank, providing emergency provisions for those in need in Hackney, alongside a toy appeal for children experiencing hardship.
“I am so proud to be working with such an amazing team who do so much to make life better for people in crisis,” she said.
“The woman who inspires me the most is Greta Thunberg,” she continued. “She is an example to us all about standing up for what is right… she puts herself at great risk and discomfort to help others. I think she’s incredibly brave.”
Nicolette Nixon
Nicolette Nixon, CEO of Morningside Community Centre, founded the youth club located in Homerton in 1999. She said “there was nothing to do and no one around” while she was growing up, and that she wanted to change this.
Now, Nicolette oversees a food pantry, wheelchair exercise classes, community-led days out, and helps residents with flat biddings. She won the Hackney Mayor Civic Award in 2019 for her work. Her greatest achievement is “the youth club and the fact [she] set it up from scrap,” she said.
She said that she has been inspired by “the local Hackney women, who have done so much to support the community”.
“The majority go unnoticed and are totally awe-inspiring”, she said.
Maeve Godwin is a student journalist, studying MA Newspaper Journalism at City St George's, University of London.
Currently completing MA Newspaper Journalism at City st George's, University of London.