A New Chapter for Ladies Who Long Lunch

There was some pretty big news shared at our Scarborough Long Lunch on Friday.

After four and a half fabulous years of long lunches, laughter, dancing, bubbles and creating a community of women together, Jo Stevens has announced that she will be stepping down as co-host of Ladies Who Long Lunch.

Jo and Kirsty launched Ladies Who Long Lunch together four and a half years ago with a simple idea: create events where women could get out from behind their businesses, careers and everyday responsibilities, meet other women and genuinely enjoy themselves.

What followed became much bigger than either of them could have predicted.

Ladies Who Long Lunch has welcomed hundreds of women through its doors, shared the stories of some extraordinary Empowerment Panellists, supported local businesses, created new friendships and collaborations, launched The Lunch Mag and the LWLL Business Directory, and built a community that continues to grow.

At Friday’s event at Tempest Seafood Restaurant in Scarborough, Jo officially shared the news with the room before later making her announcement publicly.

In Jo’s words…

🥂 YES… the rumours are true! I’m leaving Ladies Who Long Lunch! 👀😂

On Friday at our Scarborough Long Lunch, I announced that it was time for me to hang up my dancing shoes… well, at least my LWLL dancing shoes! 💃👠

Ladies Who Long Lunch has been such a huge part of my life for the past four years. What started as an idea has grown into something I am incredibly proud to have been part of — a community filled with incredible women, big personalities, beautiful friendships, inspiring stories and, of course, some seriously fabulous long lunches! 🥂

And Kirsty… what a ride it has been! ❤️

Working alongside you has been one of the highlights. Together, we’ve created some pretty amazing events, laughed A LOT, met some truly extraordinary women and, if we’re being completely honest, probably enjoyed a few too many glasses of bubbles along the way! 😂🥂

But sometimes, even the things we love have to make room for what comes next.

So yes, I have made the decision to step down as co-host of Ladies Who Long Lunch.

It hasn’t been an easy decision because I genuinely love LWLL, the community we’ve created and everything we’ve experienced along the way.

But I also know it’s the right decision for me.

I have some exciting new things happening in my life, and I’m ready to give them the time, energy and attention they deserve. ✨

And before anyone panics… I’m not disappearing just yet! 😂

There are still one more LWLL event to enjoy, a few more songs to dance to and, no doubt, a few more glasses of bubbles to raise at the upcoming “Summer Sunset” 🥂💃

I’m incredibly grateful for the past four years, for every woman who has joined us, supported us, laughed with us, shared her story and helped make LWLL what it is today.

Thank you. Truly. ❤️

This isn’t goodbye to the community I love — it’s simply time for me to take off my dancing shoes and step into my next chapter.

And who knows… I may just pop up at a long lunch every now and then. 😉🥂

Jo x

Four Years of Jo & Kirsty

For Kirsty, Jo’s decision marks the end of one chapter of LWLL, but certainly not the end of Ladies Who Long Lunch.

“When Jo and I started LWLL, we really didn’t know what it would become. We knew we wanted women to walk into a room and feel comfortable enough to meet someone new, have a conversation, laugh loudly and enjoy an afternoon that was genuinely for them.

Five years later, we’ve created something I’m incredibly proud of, and Jo has been a huge part of that.

We’ve worked hard, laughed until we’ve cried, and solved problems behind the scenes that nobody else ever knew existed. Jo has made us dance our way in and out of events and share a lot of very special moments with the women who have joined us. She brings her energy and passion wherever she does, and our guests have been lucky to share that space with her.

I’m excited for Jo and what comes next for her, and I’m enormously grateful for everything we’ve created together.”

So, What Happens to Ladies Who Long Lunch?

LWLL isn’t going anywhere. In fact, its next chapter is already underway.

Over the past year, we’ve been looking at new ways to create opportunities for women to connect, collaborate and be seen beyond our Long Lunch events, while continuing to grow the community we’ve built over the past four years.

Limelight Ladies, our new Event Ambassador Program, has already launched and is bringing together a growing group of women who want to become more involved in the LWLL community, support our events and help us welcome even more women into the room.

In October, we’ll also begin trialling our new Little Lunch project, taking LWLL out into the workplaces of our Business Directory members to share more about the women behind the businesses within our community.

And later this year, we’ll begin an exciting new partnership with students from the Youth Development Foundation, creating another opportunity for LWLL to use the community and connections we’ve built to support the next generation.

Our Long Lunch events will absolutely continue, alongside The Lunch Mag, our Business Directory and the growing number of ways we’re finding to connect and champion women throughout the year.

And there are a few other ideas bubbling away behind the scenes that we’re not quite ready to share yet. 🥂

So while one chapter of Ladies Who Long Lunch is coming to an end, there’s plenty already taking shape for the next one.

But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, there is still one very important job to do.

We need to give Jo one final LWLL dance floor!

Jo will join Kirsty for her final event as co-host at Summer Sunset Vibes on Friday 6 November at Covent Garden, West End.

There’ll be bubbles. There’ll be dancing. There’ll undoubtedly be plenty of laughter.

And after four years of Ladies Who Long Lunch together, we’d say that’s a pretty fitting way to celebrate the end of one chapter and the beginning of two new ones. 🥂💜

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