Post Office marks International Women’s Day with inspirational event at Wood Street

The Post Office celebrated International Women’s Day 2026 with an uplifting and thought‑provoking event at its Wood Street office in London, which was also streamed live to postmasters and colleagues across the UK.

Organised by Affinity, the Post Office’s women’s network, the event explored this year’s global theme, ‘Give To Gain' - a call to foster generosity, collaboration and mutual support to advance gender equality.

Inspirational keynote from Tea Colaianni MBE

Colleagues heard from Tea Colaianni MBE, founder and Chair of Diversity in Retail (DiR) and one of the retail sector’s leading voices on gender representation.

Tea shared the experiences that helped shape her career—from her early ambitions in Italy, to studying law (despite initial discouragement from her father) to working in Brussels as a European employment lawyer. She went on to hold senior HR roles with international brands including Hilton Worldwide and Merlin Entertainments, before founding DiR, which brings industry leaders together to drive greater diversity across the retail sector. Tea encouraged colleagues to embrace the ‘Give To Gain’ mindset, emphasising how supporting others strengthens teams, businesses and communities.

Spotlight on postmasters making a difference

The event also highlighted the exceptional achievements of postmasters who play vital roles in their local communities.

Sara Barlow, BEM, postmaster at Rainhill, Merseyside and the first female postmaster to sit on the Post Office Board as a Non‑Executive Director, hosted a fireside conversation with Tina May, BEM, postmistress at Christian Malford. Tina spoke about being recognised in the Queen’s New Year Honours and receiving the British Empire Medal for her outstanding community service.

Leslie Barry, postmaster at Enham Alamein and winner of the 2025 Countryside Alliance Award for Best Village Shop & Post Office, shared insights from more than 25 years serving her Hampshire community. Leslie and her partner Tim Francis are widely praised for their support for elderly and vulnerable residents, with their branch acting as a trusted and valued community hub.

Powerful stories on blood and organ donation

Colleagues also heard compelling testimonies from speakers supporting the Post Office’s four EDI networks, focusing on the importance of blood and organ donation.

Speakers included Beverley De‑Gale, OBE, co‑founder of leading UK charity ACLT (African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust), established after her son Daniel required a life‑saving stem cell transplant during his fight against leukaemia.

Attendees also heard from Calvin Campbell, who shared how regular blood transfusions have enabled him to manage sickle cell disorder and continue to enjoy work and family life.

The Post Office was also pleased to welcome representatives from NHS Blood and Transplant, who attended as part of their ‘What Is Your Blood Type’ campaign. Several colleagues registered as donors during the event.

The event reaffirmed the Post Office’s commitment to fostering an inclusive, supportive culture where colleagues can thrive.

Valerie Walker, Co‑Chair of the Affinity Network, said:

“International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate the incredible women across our organisation and to reflect on how we can continue to support one another.

We were delighted to welcome NHS Blood and Transplant as part of their ‘What Is Your Blood Type’ campaign, and it was inspiring to see colleagues sign up as donors on the day - what better gift is there than the gift of life? Today’s stories showed the power of collaboration, community and giving back.”