The first Scottish Women’s Wellbeing Summit which took place in St Andrews brought women in leadership and wellness positions together for networking and connection opportunities.
The event was eld at the Old Course Hotel, and attracted more than 100 women from all over the UK, including many involved in HR and entrepreneurship.
Listening to keynote speeches from inspiring female speakers including author and journalist Kate Muir, Dr Jo Salter, Sharon Miller of Joyworks, and Lee Donald, fitness expert & mountaineer, the summit also incorporated workshops from a range of experts in wellness and women’s health.
There was also time to try something completely different, with several women braving hot coals to complete a firework experience, along with bracing sea dips and an outdoor sauna on St Andrews West Sands.
An evening Leadership Dinner brought the main Summit agenda to a close on the Saturday evening.
Commenting on the summit, Lesley Canis, the organiser & facilitator of the event, said: “I’d like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who came along to what was a truly unforgettable weekend. As this was the first time I had staged this unique summit, it meant the world to me to know that busy, high achieving women across Scotland, including some from the North of England, took time in their schedules to come and attend this event, listening to our keynote speeches, engaging in our workshops, and generally pushing out of their comfort zones.”
“I’m extremely grateful to my speakers,” continued Lesley. “l literally could not wait to get into the room with these women. Their stories and achievements are an absolute credit to them, demonstrating to women from all backgrounds that they can change their lives. Given the reaction from my delegates to these speeches, they certainly didn’t disappoint.”
“All our business sponsors, such as Biomel, were fantastic too, we had a great mix of stalls, exhibits and workshops, and I heard several delegates say that they loved the goodie bag we curated which included products from skinandme and im8 health. I very much hope our sponsors will stay with us next year too,” said Lesley.
With all of this in mind, Lesley, an advocate for women’s mental health and better wellbeing in the workplace, went on to say that she was indeed planning next year’s summit, with a change of location on the cards, to enable many more women to attend.
“I always anticipated the summit becoming an annual event, but was testing the market with this first one. I am now thinking of moving it to a City Centre location next year, possibly Edinburgh or Glasgow,” she said.
“We may make it over a couple of weekdays too, possibly a Thursday, Friday, with some drop events as well. St Andrews is beautiful, but it’s not the most central location, and we want to make this event accessible to all.”
“I’m also thinking of removing Scottish from the title, as I did have many enquiries from England, and I don’t want to exclude anyone. Some women thought it was just for those living in Scotland, but that’s not the case, it’s for anybody who’s interested in coming along.”
Lesley finished by saying that she had plenty of ideas to make the event even bigger and better in 2026.
“Yes, there are tweaks we can make, but overall, I’m thrilled with how the first summit went. It’s a building block for the future, and I’ve shown that there is a desire for this type of summit where women can feel supported, inspired, and valued.”
