Muddy Stilettos


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="728" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/NickIvinsPhotoWalthamstowHall.jpg" alt="Queen Anne's School Nick Ivens Photography" class="wp-image-106496" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/NickIvinsPhotoWalthamstowHall.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/NickIvinsPhotoWalthamstowHall-600x427.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/NickIvinsPhotoWalthamstowHall-1000x711.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>Many single sex schools are breaking with tradition and announcing a move to co-ed, but the <a href="https://gsa.uk.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Girls&#8217; School Association</a> – an organisation that supports thousands of head teachers and pupils across a diverse range of girls’ schools across the UK – is flying the flag for girls-only education and the ceiling-shattering vibe that is empowering entrepreneurship and social change.  </p>



<p>Meet five inspirational teenagers who&#8217;ve set up innovative initiatives around period poverty, the environment and body image, showing resourcefulness, skills and resilience along the way. Future leaders? They already are!</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ahana-wycombe-abbey-high-wycombe"><strong>Ahana, <a href="https://www.wycombeabbey.com/#intro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wycombe Abbey</a>, High Wycombe</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="999" height="999" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Ahana-Wycombe-Abbey-scaled-e1741343406838.jpg" alt="Ahana Wycombe Abbey" class="wp-image-106492" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Ahana-Wycombe-Abbey-scaled-e1741343406838.jpg 999w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Ahana-Wycombe-Abbey-scaled-e1741343406838-600x600.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Ahana-Wycombe-Abbey-scaled-e1741343406838-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Ahana-Wycombe-Abbey-scaled-e1741343406838-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 999px) 100vw, 999px" /></figure>



<p><em>Ahana, (Upper Sixth) set up <a href="https://www.instagram.com/saathi_bt" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Saathi</a>, a social initiative providing reusable period pants to girls in India, Uganda, and Burkina Faso, for which she was given a <em><a href="https://diana-award.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Diana Award</a></em>. To date, Saathi (which means &#8216;companion&#8217;) has donated more than 5,000 pairs of pants.</em></p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-was-the-inspiration">What was the inspiration?</h4>



<p>Visiting my ancestral Indian village, I was shocked by the cultural stigma around menstruation and a lack of access to menstrual products. At first I thought of a donation drive to buy pads and tampons but decided I needed something that was long-term, sustainable and good for the environment – a reusable product that girls could use easily and discreetly.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-did-you-get-it-off-the-ground">How did you get it off the ground?</h4>



<p>A family friend advised on logos and registering the business. I contacted manufacturers who sent different samples&nbsp;– there were some very strange variations – and gathered people aged 18 to 45 to test them. We came up with underwear that was comfortable, sustainable and 95% bamboo. People can buy from the website and for every pair purchased, we donate a pair to a project abroad.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1052" height="828" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Saathi-period-poverty-business.jpg" alt="Saathi period pants to combat period poverty" class="wp-image-106517" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Saathi-period-poverty-business.jpg 1052w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Saathi-period-poverty-business-600x472.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Saathi-period-poverty-business-1000x787.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1052px) 100vw, 1052px" /></figure>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-supportive-has-the-school-been"><strong>How supportive has the school been</strong>?</h4>



<p>I was doing GCSEs when I first started and it was a struggle to manage everything. But the most incredible staff really supported me. The school gave me lots of opportunities to talk to my peers. I&#8217;ve spoken in front of the entire school multiple times, at the Model UN conference. Saathi is stocked in the school shop.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-it-about-you-that-made-this-happen">What is it about you that made this happen?</h4>



<p>When I see an issue and decide I&#8217;m going to do something, it&#8217;s a done deal. My perseverance, coupled with the fact that I had a really great support system, helped me keep going. </p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-next">What next?</h4>



<p>I&#8217;m currently meeting with a girl in Kenya as it&#8217;s a really big issue there, especially in the more rural villages. I&#8217;d also like to partner with a company to increase donations.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-grace-the-ladies-college-guernsey"><strong>Grace, <a href="https://www.ladiescollege.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Ladies&#8217; College</a>, Guernsey</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1379" height="1379" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Grace-The-Ladies-College-Guernsey-e1741344307306.jpeg" alt="Grace The Ladies College Guernsey" class="wp-image-106501" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Grace-The-Ladies-College-Guernsey-e1741344307306.jpeg 1379w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Grace-The-Ladies-College-Guernsey-e1741344307306-600x600.jpeg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Grace-The-Ladies-College-Guernsey-e1741344307306-1000x1000.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Grace-The-Ladies-College-Guernsey-e1741344307306-300x300.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Grace-The-Ladies-College-Guernsey-e1741344307306-500x500.jpeg 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Grace-The-Ladies-College-Guernsey-e1741344307306-1100x1100.jpeg 1100w" sizes="(max-width: 1379px) 100vw, 1379px" /></figure>



<p><em>A passionate environmentalist, Grace (Lower Sixth) has invented the Filter Finn, a device to collect microplastics from water using a motor-operated pump and a filter, and is currently working with an environmental officer to develop the prototype. </em></p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-did-you-come-up-with-the-idea">How did you come up with the idea?</h4>



<p>I&#8217;ve always been environmentally focused. I&#8217;m the friend who&#8217;ll tell you off if you pick up a plastic bottle in the supermarket. I was swimming with a whale shark in Mexico in 2023 when I saw a plastic bag in the water and thought, surely that&#8217;s dangerous for this magnificent creature? </p>



<p>Researching for my EPQ [Extended Project Qualification, a research project taken alongside A levels], I discovered that the biggest threat to marine life around the world was from microplastics. I decided to develop a device In DT [Design Technology] to trap microplastics washing up on beaches, to help decide where to set up clean-up initiatives.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-did-you-put-it-into-practice">How did you put it into practice?</h4>



<p>Lots of research! Visiting our local harbour to find out what was happening there (not much), looking online for existing devices (these were for macro rather than micro plastics), the sizes of microplastics for the filters and the type of pump –  it had to be battery powered and environmentally friendly – which took about three months.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2420" height="1816" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Grace-The-Ladies-College-Guernsey.jpeg2_.jpeg" alt="Grace TedX talk fro The Ladies COllege Guernsey" class="wp-image-106505" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Grace-The-Ladies-College-Guernsey.jpeg2_.jpeg 2420w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Grace-The-Ladies-College-Guernsey.jpeg2_-600x450.jpeg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Grace-The-Ladies-College-Guernsey.jpeg2_-1000x750.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Grace-The-Ladies-College-Guernsey.jpeg2_-1536x1153.jpeg 1536w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Grace-The-Ladies-College-Guernsey.jpeg2_-2048x1537.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2420px) 100vw, 2420px" /></figure>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-supportive-was-the-school">How supportive was the school?</h4>



<p>My DT teacher is very supportive, he&#8217;s always pushing me to to do more. The school give me lots of opportunities to enhance my environmental side.  Last year they hosted a TEDx talk and I spoke on stage in front of an audience including people from the finance industry and the press. It was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. </p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-next-0">What next?</h4>



<p>Once I&#8217;ve finished this prototype, I&#8217;m thinking of developing a bigger version and working with a local client as part of my A level.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lizzie-walthamstow-hall-sevenoaks"><strong>Lizzie, <a href="https://www.walthamstow-hall.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Walthamstow Hall</a>, Sevenoaks</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Untitled-design-102.jpg" alt="Lizzie at Walthamstow Hall" class="wp-image-106521" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Untitled-design-102.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Untitled-design-102-600x600.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Untitled-design-102-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Untitled-design-102-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p><em>Lizzie (Lower Sixth) has worked on a project comparing body neutrality vs body positivity as part of a <a href="https://diana-award.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Diana Award</a></em> <em>anti-bullying initiative</em>.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-started-you-thinking-about-the-topic">What started you thinking about the topic?</h4>



<p>I&#8217;m on our school&#8217;s Diana Committee [focusing on anti-bullying, respect and kindness; part of the Diana Award, an organisation empowering young people to make positive change] and I was asked to do a presentation for Key Stage 3 and 4 on social media and body positivity. </p>



<p>During my research I stumbled across another movement, which stuck with me a lot more – body neutrality. Talking to other teenagers about eating disorders and self esteem, they felt a neutral outlook was more helpful, too – yet you never hear anything about it.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-so-what-s-the-difference-between-the-two">So, what&#8217;s the difference between the two?</h4>



<p>Body positivity is the notion of loving and seeing yourself as beautiful, regardless of perceived imperfections or flaws. Body neutrality focuses more on &#8216;I am like I am&#8217;, appreciating your body to keep you healthy rather than what you look like. It&#8217;s more of an acceptance point of view than a superficial &#8216;I love myself&#8217;.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-so-body-positivity-can-be-a-bit-well-negative">So body positivity can be a bit, well, negative?</h4>



<p>When you deep dive into it, especially from a teenager&#8217;s perspective, the body positive idea raises some alarm bells. People at very unhealthy weights – overweight or underweight – promoting body positivity on social media could be seen as promoting unhealthiness. One psychologist argues that body positivity is actually potentially toxic.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-next-1">What next?<strong> </strong></h3>



<p>My work&#8217;s going to be presented to girls in Y9, Y10 and Y11.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sophie-and-holly-queen-anne-s-school-caversham"><strong>Sophie and Holly, <a href="https://www.qas.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen Anne&#8217;s School, Caversham</a></strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1920" height="2560" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Sophie-and-Holly-Queen-Annes-Caversham-scaled-e1741343023510.jpeg" alt="Sophie and Holly Queen Anne's Caversham school" class="wp-image-106504" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Sophie-and-Holly-Queen-Annes-Caversham-scaled-e1741343023510.jpeg 1920w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Sophie-and-Holly-Queen-Annes-Caversham-scaled-e1741343023510-450x600.jpeg 450w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Sophie-and-Holly-Queen-Annes-Caversham-scaled-e1741343023510-750x1000.jpeg 750w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Sophie-and-Holly-Queen-Annes-Caversham-scaled-e1741343023510-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Sophie-and-Holly-Queen-Annes-Caversham-scaled-e1741343023510-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



<p><em>Holly and Sophie (Lower Sixth) host at the Welcome Warm Space Initiative, a community project which provides a welcoming space with food and drink for anyone in need. </em></p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-did-the-project-start">How did the project start?</h4>



<p>Churches Together and the Southern Counties Baptist Association set up the initiative in 2022. Every Friday, about 20 people, mostly elderly, come to a café-style space at the Caversham Baptist Church. They can enjoy a hot lunch, socialise and sometimes take away free food donated by a local shop. The school make a financial donation and teachers, parents, Old Girls and current pupils from the school all volunteer.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-did-you-get-involved">Why did you get involved?</h4>



<p>[Holly] We&#8217;re both volunteering as part of our Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. I&#8217;ve being coming here for over a year. [Sophie] I started in November. Not just for the Award but because it&#8217;s beneficial for the community, and I hope to continue for as long as possible.  </p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-do-you-do">What do you do?</h4>



<p>[Holly] As well as washing up after lunch, serving tea and coffee, we sit, chat and play board games. It&#8217;s way of getting people out of the house, to enjoy not just warmth but companionship. Sometimes they just want to talk to someone. The Warm Space can be an important piece of their lives and if feels good to be part of that. </p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-impact-has-volunteering-had-on-you">What impact has volunteering had on you?</h4>



<p>[Sophie] It&#8217;s really helped my confidence in speaking to bigger groups and people I don&#8217;t know very well. [Holly] You get an insight into other people&#8217;s lives and to be involved with the local community. </p>



<p><em><a style="font-style: italic" href="https://gsa.uk.com/">Girls’ Schools Association</a></em></p>


The future’s bright: 5 young women on a mission for change

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