Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre Seeks Volunteers to Celebrate Inspirational Women

Key Points

• Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre is inviting people to help create an exhibition celebrating inspirational women from Grimsby and North East Lincolnshire.
• The project will highlight women from the past and present whose achievements have influenced their communities and made a wider impact.
• Young women across the borough are encouraged to participate, and no previous experience is required.
• Volunteers will have opportunities to research overlooked stories, explore previously unseen museum collection items and contribute to the exhibition.
• Brenda Fisher BEM, the record-breaking Channel swimmer who completed the crossing in 12 hours and 42 minutes in 1951, is among the women whose achievements illustrate the project’s aims.
• Muriel Baker, the first female leader of the council following the dissolution of Humberside Council in 1996, is another notable local figure.
• Baker received a CBE in 1998 and the Freedom of the Borough in 2008 in recognition of her decades of public service.
• The planned exhibition will be held in the Muriel Baker Gallery at Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre.
• The project will also recognise women making a difference in contemporary society, rather than focusing exclusively on historical figures.
• Councillor Bob Callison, Portfolio Holder for Environment, Tourism and Culture, has welcomed the initiative and encouraged the recognition of women’s achievements.

France News7 (FN7) October 9, 2026 – Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre has invited young women across North East Lincolnshire to help create an exhibition celebrating the achievements of inspirational women from the area. The initiative will bring together historical stories and contemporary achievements, giving volunteers opportunities to research local figures, explore museum collections and contribute to an exhibition planned for the Muriel Baker Gallery. The project will highlight women whose contributions have shaped public life, sport and their communities, including record-breaking swimmer Brenda Fisher and former council leader Muriel Baker. No previous experience is required, and interested people are encouraged to contact the organisers for further information.

Why is Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre inviting people to celebrate local women?

Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre has launched a community initiative seeking public participation in an exhibition dedicated to inspirational women from Grimsby and North East Lincolnshire.

According to the announcement published by North East Lincolnshire Council on October 9, 2026, the project aims to bring attention to women whose achievements have made a difference locally and beyond. The initiative will involve volunteers in uncovering stories, exploring museum collections and helping develop an exhibition that presents these contributions to the public.

The organisers are inviting young women across the borough to take part. Previous experience is not required, making the opportunity accessible to people who are interested in local history, research, heritage and the stories of women who have influenced society.

The project will focus on more than well-known public figures. By encouraging participants to uncover lesser-known stories, the initiative also creates an opportunity to recognise women whose contributions may not have received widespread attention.

The centre’s collection will form an important part of this process. Volunteers will be able to explore items that have not previously been seen by the public, helping them investigate the connections between individual lives, local history and the wider community.

The final exhibition is planned for the Muriel Baker Gallery at Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre. The venue provides a local setting in which the achievements of women associated with the borough can be presented to residents and visitors.

The council’s announcement does not specify an opening date for the proposed exhibition or a deadline for volunteer applications.

Who was Brenda Fisher, the record-breaking swimmer from Grimsby?

Brenda Fisher is one of the prominent examples cited in the announcement, recognised for her achievements in long-distance swimming.

Fisher became known for swimming the English Channel in 1951, completing the crossing from England to France in 12 hours and 42 minutes. The achievement established her place in the history of British endurance swimming and provides an example of the sporting accomplishments the exhibition could highlight.

Her achievements extended beyond the Channel crossing. According to the council’s account, Fisher later swam in the River Nile and Lake Ontario, demonstrating the international scope of her swimming career.

Her sporting achievements also received formal recognition. She was named British Sportswoman of the Year in 1956 and received the British Empire Medal (BEM) in 2018.

Fisher died in 2022. Her inclusion in the proposed exhibition would provide an opportunity to preserve the story of a local woman whose achievements reached beyond North East Lincolnshire.

Her example also illustrates the range of experiences the project may explore. Sporting accomplishments can reveal the determination, preparation and perseverance involved in overcoming demanding physical challenges, while the recognition Fisher received offers a historical record of her contribution to British sport.

The exhibition’s organisers have not announced a final list of women who will be featured. Fisher is one of the individuals identified in the council’s announcement, rather than a confirmed indication of the complete exhibition programme.

What role did Muriel Baker play in North East Lincolnshire’s public life?

Muriel Baker is another central figure in the initiative, recognised for her contribution to local government and public service.

According to North East Lincolnshire Council, Baker became the council’s first female leader in 1996, following the dissolution of Humberside Council. Her appointment marked an important point in the local authority’s history, as she assumed a senior leadership position during a period of administrative change.

Baker’s public service was subsequently recognised through several honours. In 1998, she received a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), and in 2008 she was awarded the Freedom of the Borough in recognition of her decades of service.

These honours form part of the documented record of her contribution to the area.

The significance of Baker’s story extends beyond her position as a former council leader. Her career provides an example of a woman who held senior public office and contributed to the administration and development of local government.

Her connection to the heritage centre is also reflected in the Muriel Baker Gallery, which is named in her honour. The proposed exhibition will be held in this gallery, creating a direct connection between the venue and one of the women whose achievements the project seeks to recognise.

The choice of location also provides a practical link between the exhibition’s subject and the centre’s wider heritage role. Rather than presenting the stories separately from the community in which they developed, the project will use a local cultural institution to bring them together.

The council has not indicated whether the exhibition will include archival documents, photographs, personal objects or other material specifically relating to Baker. Those details remain to be confirmed by the organisers.

Will the exhibition recognise women making a difference today?

Yes. The initiative is intended to recognise women from both the past and the present.

The council’s announcement explicitly states that the project is not limited to historical figures. Women who are making a difference in contemporary society can also form part of the exhibition’s focus.

This approach gives the organisers scope to consider a broad range of achievements across different periods and areas of public life.

Historical figures such as Fisher and Baker provide documented examples of sporting distinction and public service. Contemporary contributions, meanwhile, could allow the exhibition to reflect the experiences of women currently influencing their communities.

The council has not yet published a list of contemporary candidates or established publicly announced criteria for selecting the individuals whose stories will appear in the exhibition. It would therefore be premature to identify particular living women as confirmed participants.

The invitation to help tell these stories gives volunteers a role in the process of exploring local achievements. Their work may help identify people whose contributions are not widely known outside their immediate communities.

By including past and present experiences, the exhibition could offer visitors a broader account of women’s participation in local life. Its precise scope, however, will depend on the research and material selected during the project’s development.

How can young women volunteer for the exhibition project?

Young women across North East Lincolnshire who are interested in participating are encouraged to contact the organisers directly.

The council’s announcement says that no previous experience is needed. Volunteers will have opportunities to uncover hidden stories, examine previously unseen items from the museum’s collection and contribute to the creation of the exhibition.

The opportunity is therefore intended for people who want to learn about local heritage as well as those who already have an interest in research or exhibition work.

The process described by the council combines historical investigation with practical involvement in a cultural project. Participants will not simply be asked to view a completed exhibition; they will have an opportunity to contribute to its development.

People interested in taking part can email chloe.james@nelincs.gov.uk to request further information.

The announcement does not provide a specific closing date, a fixed number of available places or a detailed timetable for the volunteer activities. Interested people should contact the organisers to establish the current arrangements and any participation requirements.

The final exhibition is expected to be held at Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre’s Muriel Baker Gallery, although no opening date has been announced in the published notice.

What has the council said about recognising inspirational women?

Councillor Bob Callison, Portfolio Holder for Environment, Tourism and Culture, welcomed the initiative and highlighted the importance of recognising women’s contributions.

In a statement included in the council’s announcement, Callison said: “This is a fantastic idea.” He also emphasised that society benefits from women’s work, both within the borough and internationally.

Callison specifically referred to Fisher and Baker, saying that their achievements deserved recognition and describing the proposed exhibition as an appropriate opportunity to bring their stories into the spotlight.

He added that he was looking forward to seeing the final exhibition.

His comments establish the council’s public support for the project and its aim of recognising women whose achievements have helped shape local and wider society.

The announcement, however, does not include further statements from volunteers, museum researchers or representatives of other organisations involved in the project. Nor does it provide a detailed account of the exhibition’s budget, funding arrangements or planned educational programme.

The immediate focus remains on encouraging participation and gathering the stories and material needed to create the exhibition.

Background: How does the project fit into the heritage centre’s work?

Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre is a cultural institution associated with the area’s history and heritage. Its previous exhibition activity has included projects involving museum collections, community participation and the interpretation of local stories.

For example, North East Lincolnshire Council announced in March 2023 that the centre’s Stories from the Sea exhibition had been developed collaboratively with museum volunteers, creative writers and local actors. The project used artworks associated with Grimsby’s fishing heritage to explore stories connected with vessels and people working from the town’s docks.

In May 2025, the council also announced two exhibitions, Our Past on Paper and Streets of Grimsby, which brought together collection items, volunteer research, artworks and contributions reflecting the area’s history. Both were scheduled to be displayed in the Muriel Baker Gallery.

These earlier projects provide context for the new initiative’s emphasis on participation and the interpretation of local history. They demonstrate that the centre has previously used exhibitions to connect collections with community contributions.

The proposed celebration of inspirational women has a distinct subject, focusing on individual achievements and women’s place in the borough’s past and present. Its planned use of volunteers to uncover stories and examine collection material follows a similar broad approach to community involvement.

The earlier exhibitions do not, however, establish the timetable, funding or final content of the new project. Those details will need to be confirmed through further announcements from the council or heritage centre.

Prediction: How could the exhibition affect local women, volunteers and heritage audiences?

The project could provide several practical benefits for its intended audiences, although the extent of those benefits will depend on participation, the quality of the research and the final exhibition programme.

For young women interested in local history, volunteering could offer an opportunity to develop research skills, learn how museum collections are interpreted and contribute to a public-facing cultural project. Because previous experience is not required, the initiative may be accessible to participants who are new to this type of work.

For women whose achievements are less widely recognised, the project could create an opportunity for their contributions to be documented and shared with a wider audience. Whether particular individuals are included will depend on the organisers’ research and selection process.

For local residents and visitors, the exhibition could provide a way to learn about the borough through the experiences of women in sport, public service and contemporary community life. It may also encourage further interest in the area’s history and the collections held at the heritage centre.

For the heritage centre and the wider cultural sector, the initiative could strengthen community participation by involving volunteers in identifying and presenting stories. Previous centre projects demonstrate that collaborative exhibition work has been used locally, although the new project’s eventual reach cannot yet be measured.

These outcomes remain possibilities rather than confirmed results. The council has not announced visitor targets, participation figures or an evaluation framework for the exhibition.

The next important steps will be the recruitment of interested volunteers, the identification and research of suitable stories, and the development of the exhibition itself. Further information about its opening date and final content will be needed to assess the project’s eventual impact.