Dr Lorna Cork: celebrating International Women's Month

To mark International Women’s Month, we at OBV have been profiling women who are committed to serving their communities and excelled in their respective fields. There are countless women who have made a big difference but some are unsung heroes whose efforts go under the radar.

Dr Lorna Cork is one of these women. The Cambridge graduate, who was recipient of the much-coveted ESRC studentship, came from a humble single-parent home, rising up to hold the post of Senior Schools and Settings Improvement Advisor at Birmingham City Council. The post saw the former English teacher help schools to improve learning practice and get better results. This is a post she served with distinction seeing to it that school results doubled and exceed government targets.

Passionate about education, Dr Cork refused to limit herself to institutions and took her expertise into the community. She has hosted events for local parents, giving them advice on how schools work and how to support their children in getting the best education possible. One event in particular, was called ‘YES WE WILL’, which was inspired by President Barack Obama’s famous slogan. The even offered a motivational and educational programme for the whole family.

Dr Cork is an inspirational figure herself, but counts her mother and her PhD supervisor and Cambridge academic Donald McIntyre, as her role models. She credits McIntyre for helping to bring out the best of her whilst at Cambridge by being able to see both her ‘intellectual capital and cultural capital’.

Dr Cork is now ready to conquer another field: social enterprise. She has drawn up a plan seeking to combine her skills in education and community research to benefit society.

With such an impressive cv, it seems only fitting that such a successful women would be hosting her own event in order to celebrate International Women’s Month. The event will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn, 1 Brunswick Square, Brindley Place, Birmingham, B1 2HW on Saturday 31st March from 11 am till 4 pm. Amongst the various distinguished speakers will be Karen Bailey Wright, who is the first African-Caribbean woman solicitor to set up her own practice in Birmingham City centre.

For more information about the event, click here.

Rhona Asmah