How Sharon Appleby is Helping to Shape Sunderland for the Better
This is an exciting time for development in Sunderland and Sharon is at the forefront of it
Understandably, Sharon is a busy woman, but when we get the chance to speak her excitement for all things Sunderland is obvious. ‘I think for me, at the moment, particularly in Sunderland which is where my real focus is, it’s about opportunity,’ she says. The ongoing regeneration of the area is creating an increasingly bright future. ‘We’re creating the opportunities for people to live better lives, to have great jobs, and to come and live and work and enjoy the North East much more than probably ever before.’
At the heart of what makes the area so exciting is the community. ‘I think the real thing for us in the North East is the people – the warmth, the friendliness, the tenacity, the just get on and do it type attitude and approach that we always have makes it a really special place.’
For Sharon, opportunity and attitude go hand-in-hand when it comes to supporting the next generation of girls, and both are continuously improving. ‘I think if you’ve got really good skills and ability then it doesn’t really matter, but I do think there’s an awful lot more opportunity for young women,’ she explains. When considering her own teen daughters, Sharon has hope for their futures. ‘Previously I would have thought maybe not here, you need to go somewhere else, but actually with everything that’s going on now, I can see really good careers for both of them and opportunities for both of them in this region which is something that I never really thought before.’
But with the constant development, such as the ongoing Crown Work Studios, the launch of Culture House and regular new openings at Sheepfolds Stables, Sharon appreciates there is a responsibility to make the next generation aware of what they can achieve. ‘We need to make sure we’re giving our young women the skills to be able to enter all of those sectors which they might not have considered before,’ she says. ‘We’ve got a great professional services sector in the North East. We need to really think about and celebrate opportunities in those sectors. We’ve got great leisure and hospitality operations and although it’s really tough for them at the moment there are still amazing careers available in those sectors.’
As a leading figure in the area herself, Sharon agrees that there are plenty of inspiring women to act as role models for young girls. ‘There’s so many, there’s probably too many to talk about! You’ve got the likes of Irene Hays [of Hays Travel] who is bringing on young women through her business all the time and has been around in the region for a very long time,’ she says. ‘There’s a lady called Ellen Thinnesen who just left Education Partnership North East and has gone to work in government, she’s exceptional. I work with some incredible women who run their own businesses who are really tenacious, who are really innovative and forward thinking and progressive, but maybe do it just under the radar.’
Sharon believes that enthusiasm is key to the future of Sunderland and the futures of young people in the area. ‘There’s a lot of doom and gloom out there. People talk down lots of different things, not just the region,’ she explains. ‘But there’s a lot of positivity and we need as many people as possible in positions like mine and other positions who have the ability to talk really positively about what’s going on, and we need to do that as much as possible.’
Day to day, Sharon makes this a reality by working closely with businesses and organisations across the city and shaping BIDs across the nation. Her work has received accolades like British BIDs Accreditation for governance and fostering partnerships for projects tackling crime and promoting local businesses, with recent successes including the launch of the Seafront BID and continued work with universities and councils to drive regeneration. Most recently, Sharon was appointed as a Visiting Professor by the University of Sunderland’s Business School, giving her the opportunity to connect with younger generations.
On her advice for aspiring younger women, she emphasises drive. ‘Nothing is impossible, but you’ve got to believe and you’ve got to have that will and desire to do it,’ she says. ‘Embrace all of the opportunities that you get, talk to people and meet them face to face. Be aware of what’s going on and want to be part of it. It takes you a long way when you’ve got that enthusiasm and that drive to want to do something.’
