FIVE inspirational women helped to mark Porlock’s annual Ada Lovelace Day at the weekend when they spoke during a cream tea event in the village hall.

Ada Lovelace, daughter of poet Lord Byron and who lived for a time in Porlock, was a pioneering 19th century mathematician credited with being the first computer programmer.

Her legacy, celebrated internationally, encourages women to break barriers in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM).

The STEM message was mirrored by the five speakers, the first of whom was Diane Turner, an NHS senior practitioner, who moved the audience with her story of personal grief and resilience.

Inspired by her late mother and the children she tragically lost, Diane’s work supporting bereaved families and veterans exemplified the power of turning pain into purpose.

Twenty-six-year-old Alex Prideaux, a senior quantity surveyor in the male-dominated defence industry, shared her journey of overcoming gender bias and how she manages multi-million-pound projects, using her position to encourage more women into leadership roles.

Karla Thresher, from Minehead, who joined the Royal National Lifeboat Institution aged 17 and is now a lifeboat commander on the Thames, in London, highlighted the spirit of charity and teamwork.

Her unwavering dedication to the lifeboat service, both on the Thames and as a volunteer in Minehead, was a touching tribute to the RNLI motto ‘With courage, nothing is impossible’.

Diversity Voice chief executive Natalie Dyson shared how her journey from law to charity work was driven by a desire to create a more inclusive world.

Her efforts during the Ukraine refugee crisis and her commitment to supporting the vulnerable demonstrated the ‘true spirit of community’.

Finally, Heather Goldstraw, a systems thinker in the defence industry, reminded the audience of the value of ‘thinking differently’ and the importance of connecting the dots others may miss.

Her belief that women can ‘do it all’, but only with the support of a community, captured the essence of the day.

The cream tea, hosted by Lynn Pearson, also raised funds for the RNLI and Diversity Voice, a Somerset-based charity which helps refugees to integrate and settle into local communities.