2025
Minnie Levick MBE
Medical pioneer Together with her surgeon husband, medical officer Minnie introduced aseptic surgery to Middlesbrough and they went on to perform the town’ s first appendicectomy in 1913.
Faye Marsay
Actress Middlesbrough-born, Loftus-raised Faye is notable for her acting roles in Fresh Meat, Need for Speed, Game of Thrones and crime drama Adolescence.
Steph McGovern
TV presenter Middlesbroughborn Steph’ s credits include BBC Radio 5 Live’ s Wake Up To Money, BBC Breakfast, Watchdog and her Channel 4 show Steph’ s Packed Lunch.
Winnie McKenna
Footballer Grangetown-born Winnie( 1897-1971) was an early pioneer of the women’ s football game. A munitionette at Middlesbrough’ s Bolckow Vaughan ironworks, she was viewed as the region’ s best women’ s player.
Julia McMordie CBE
Politician Hartlepool-born Julia was an Ulster Unionist Party politician. In 1922 she was one of only two women elected to the first Parliament of Northern Ireland.
Beth Mead MBE
Professional football player The first women’ s footballer to be named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Beth Mead was top scorer and Player of the Tournament when England won the UEFA Women’ s Euros in 2022, while she was also part of the squad that defended the title in 2025. Whitby-born Beth grew up in the coastal village of Hinderwell before playing youth football in Middlesbrough.
Ann Ming MBE
Justice campaigner Billingham-born Ann Ming is best known for her pivotal role in overturning ancient double jeopardy rule following the 1989 murder of her daughter Julie.
Mo Mowlam
Politician Labour MP for Redcar 1987-2001, Mo served under Tony Blair as secretary of state for Northern Ireland, playing a leading role in the signing of the historic Good Friday Agreement, helping bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
Elizabeth Nichol
Slavery abolitionist Darlington-born Elizabeth( 1807- 1897) was a slavery abolitionist, anti-segregationist, women’ s suffragist, chartist and anti-vivisectionist.
Jordan Nobbs
Professional football player Stockton-born Jordan broke the Women’ s Super League appearance record in 2024, and also made more than 70 England appearances.
Adele Parks MBE
Fiction author Eaglescliffe-born Adele has sold more than six million UK edition copies of her novels, while her books have been translated into 31 languages.
Bertha Quinn
Suffragent & politician Middesbrough-born Bertha Quinn( 1873 – 1951) was one of the first Catholic suffragette prisoners to be force-fed after going on hunger strike.
Wendy Richard MBE
Actress Middlesbrough-born Wendy Richard( 1943-2009) was best known for her TV roles in Are You Being Served? and EastEnders.
Anna Raeburn
Broadcaster & agony aunt Middlesbrough-born Anna Raeburn is best known for her role as a radio agony aunt, giving advice on relationships and general life problems.
Mary Reveley
Racehorse trainer Lingdale-born Mary Reveley( 1940-2017) was a hugely successful racehorse trainer, training more than 2,000 winners.
Katherine Routledge
Archaeologist Katherine was an archaeologist and anthropologist who, in 1914, initiated and carried out much of the first true survey of Easter Island.
Alice Schofield Coates
Suffragette and politician Alice( 1881-1975) campaigned for women to have the vote and later for the legislation to give women rights to equal pay. She helped form the Women’ s Freedom League and was elected as Middlesbrough’ s first female councillor in 1919.
Norma Shaw MBE
World bowls champion Adopted Teessider Norma was one of the UK’ s greatest ever bowls players, winning 12 World Outdoor Championship medals.
Florence Tresler
Swimmer Florence became Darlington’ s first world record holder in 1910 when she swam 12 miles in nine hours, aged just 18.
Professor Jane Turner OBE DL
Power of Women founder Guisborough-born Jane was the driving force behind the Power of Women campaign. Shortly before her passing in 2021, she was the first woman to top the annual Tees Business poll in which local businesspeople choose their counterparts who most inspire them.
Ellen Wilkinson
Politician Ellen Wilkinson achieved fame as a Labour Party politician, initially serving Middlesbrough East( 1924-31) and later playing a prominent role in the Jarrow March to London to campaign for the town’ s unemployed. She served in Winston Churchill’ s and Clement Attlee’ s governments.
The voice of business in the Tees region | 129