Three new blue plaques for women who helped to shape our city

Three new blue plaques are to be unveiled, honouring the women who helped to shape our city.
Edna Coates, from Wakefield, who raised mroe than £750,000 for charity in 40 years, will be honoured with a blue plaque next week, courtesy of the Forgotten Women of Wakefield project. It has been funded by her daughter, Carol.Edna Coates, from Wakefield, who raised mroe than £750,000 for charity in 40 years, will be honoured with a blue plaque next week, courtesy of the Forgotten Women of Wakefield project. It has been funded by her daughter, Carol.
Edna Coates, from Wakefield, who raised mroe than £750,000 for charity in 40 years, will be honoured with a blue plaque next week, courtesy of the Forgotten Women of Wakefield project. It has been funded by her daughter, Carol.

The plaques will honour Eva Lett, the first female principal of Ripon College, Enda Coates, who raised more than £750,000 for charity, and Nellie and Emily Staynes, sisters who protected conscientious objectors imprisoned in Wakefield during World War One.

The new plaques have been organised by the Forgotten Women of Wakefield project, who want to see blue plaque parity for men and women.

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Sarah Cobham, head of Dream Time Creative, the company behind the Forgotten Women scheme, said: “Without the funds from the council to pay for the actual blue plaques, these women would have remained hidden.

Nelly and Emily Staynes will be honoured with a blue plaque next week. The sisters, from Wakefield, protected conscientious objectors in the city during the First World War. they are being honoured by the Forgotten Women of Wakefield project, with funding from Wakefield CouncilNelly and Emily Staynes will be honoured with a blue plaque next week. The sisters, from Wakefield, protected conscientious objectors in the city during the First World War. they are being honoured by the Forgotten Women of Wakefield project, with funding from Wakefield Council
Nelly and Emily Staynes will be honoured with a blue plaque next week. The sisters, from Wakefield, protected conscientious objectors in the city during the First World War. they are being honoured by the Forgotten Women of Wakefield project, with funding from Wakefield Council

“Like so many of our Forgotten Women, these women left no one behind to remember their stories.

“There is no one to honour their achievements or to fight for them to take their rightful place in our Blue Plaque scheme so it is an absolute delight that this evening, hosted by Wakefield Civic Society as part of their Autumn talk programme, is dedicated to them.

“We have learnt so much about the characters and qualities of women from our past and this continues to inspire us in these very uncertain times.”

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Following next week’s unveiling, a total of 14 blue plaques will be dedicated to women, 10 of which have been organised by the Forgotten Women of Wakefield group.

Two of the plaques, for Eva Lett and the Staynes Sisters, have been funded by Wakefield Council, while Enda Coates’ plaque has been funded by her daughter, Carol.

The new plaques will be unveiled during an event at Wakefield Town Hall on Thursday, October 24. Hosted by Wakefield Civic Society, the evening will include details on the women’s achievements, as well as further information on the Forgotten Women project.

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