A CAMPAIGN to inspire more St Helens women to aim high and fulfil their potential gathered steam today (Monday) as a summit was held at Langtree Park.

Over the coming months, in partnership with St Helens Council, the Star will be sharing the stories of some truly inspirational women as part of the campaign, entitled We Can!

Summit attendees, including figures from health, education and arts bodies from the town and the wider region, listened to speakers and discussed issues such as unattainable perfection, motherhood, getting active and alcohol use.

Interim director of public health at St Helens Council, Sue Forster, pointed out health-related areas in which she would like to see St Helens improve - including number of women smoking when pregnant, breastfeeding rates, alcohol specific deaths, domestic abuse and self-harm.

She said: "We are doing well in some areas, like screening for breast and cervical cancer.

"But we are now second highest in the country for alcohol-specific deaths in women, second only to Blackpool.

"We need to challenge our culture - women are taking on what would traditionally have been male behaviour. We need to find a balance."

Sue also told the inspiring stories of two St Helens women of the past - Lily Parr, a top-scoring footballer whose team played to a crowd of 53,000 at Goodison Park on Boxing Day 1920, and Hannah Rosbotham, who was presented the Albert Medal in 1881 by Queen Victoria after saving schoolchildren when a building collapsed.

Cllr Jeanie Bell, cabinet member for public health and wellbeing at St Helens Council, said she owed a lot to family role models including her mum, grandmother and sisters.

She said: "We need to think about the message we're sending to young women in St Helens. We need to be proud of our achievements.

"Women don't have to not like the way they look to be healthy. It's about enjoying activity for its own sake - not to attain physical perfection."

An inspiring Mary Ellison, 66, talked of the challenges she has faced since having a cycling accident seven years ago in which she shattered her pelvis, broke her spine in four places and suffered nerve damage on her left side.

Any women who have an inspirational story to share can contact paula.morris@newsquest.co.uk.