Here are more details about our free event, HOW TO HAVE FUN AT WORK, taking place on Tuesday 18th March in Medway. In these challenging times, it’s never been more important to embrace the power of humour in our workplaces and communities.
Funny Women has been based in Rochester for 10 years and we’re proud to have this fantastic opportunity funded by Medway Council and supported by the Federation of Small Businesses to deliver this event as part of our Comedy in the Community initiative, bringing you strategies to make your workplace a happier, healthier and more diverse environment.
Featuring workshops, panel discussion, essential networking and live comedy (of course!), we will show you how to express your ideas more confidently and freely using some of the tried and tested tricks of the comedy trade.
Our perfect setting for this event is Ascend CoWorking, the stylish new coworking centre located in the Pentagon Centre, Chatham, pictured below.
This event is for everybody, regardless of gender, with a carefully curated programme designed to boost your confidence, take on a leadership within your community, apply for a job you’ve always wanted or simply to say what you think in a meeting.
Here’s the lowdown!
TAKE PART IN WORKSHOPS
When you arrive, you will take part in a lively round of quickfire workshops facilitated by local business people. Choose two out of these four topics:
RESOLVING CONFLICT WITH HUMOUR
No one likes dealing with conflict. Difficult people and tricky emotions can instil fear into anyone. At the heart of diffusing any situation, hearing what the other person is trying to say, whilst keeping calm is key. This session demonstrates how using humour can break down barriers both professionally and personally. Get involved and have a few laughs too!
Denise Wilton is an actor, writer and one half of comedy duo Femmes Futile. She works with training companies and education establishments facilitating and acting out difficult conversations. ‘Being able to try things out and make errors in the classroom helps delegates to know how to handle real life situations when they arrive,’ says Denise ‘There is always a sprinkling of fun and humour too.’
PUNCHING ABOVE YOUR WEIGHT
Creative insights, practical tips, and a touch of wrestling flair to help you reimagine your workplace! Whether you’re looking to invigorate your team or reshape your training programmes, this workshop shares strategies that will empower you to create a working environment that’s as enjoyable as it is effective.
Alex Gilbert is a seasoned L&D professional and pro wrestling enthusiast who believes work should be both productive and fun. As head of learning and development at a top London recruitment firm, he’s helped three companies secure Top 10 Best Places to Work awards by injecting creativity and excitement into their cultures. With over 15 years’ experience—and a loyal following of 15,000 on LinkedIn—Alex proves that no matter your role, you can make work awesome. When he’s not transforming workplaces, he’s co-promoting United Kingdom Pro Wrestling (UKPW).
YOU COULDN’T MAKE IT UP: HOW TO IMPROVISE
Thinking on your feet is a vital too for both business and personal success. Without the confidence to do so, you can limit yourself across all elements of your life. Improvisation is an amazing skill to develop. We improvise everywhere: conversations, meetings, interviews, presentations. Explore how you can enhance delivery of your messages and grow your business and career.
Nic Lamont is an actor, writer and improvisation specialist. She is part of comedy duo The Twins Macabre who have written and performed on BBC3’s Live at the Electric and BBCR4’s Sketchorama. Nic’s work includes TV, film, UK and International theatre. Her one woman show Mary Shelley: Muthamonster has played in venues in London and Kent and has been made into a full length feature film. Nic regularly teaches Improv with her company Medway Play Lab CIC.
HAPPY PEOPLE = HIGH PERFORMANCE
Psychological safety is the key to thriving teams. Discover how to foster a positive culture where everyone in your organisation can thrive with interactive discussion and practical takeaways to sustain your team, build engagement and improve performance. Whether you’re a leader looking to elevate your workplace or a colleague keen to create a more positive environment with your coworkers, leave this workshop inspired and equipped to build happier, more resilient teams.
About Thrivall
Thrivall is on a mission to get you and your organisation thriving. Thrivall develops and supports leaders and colleagues to sustain high performing teams, partnering with forward-thinking and pioneering leaders to deliver proactive year-round programmes, that leverage performance psychology, foster good mental health and wellbeing.
Anwen Cooper, director and co-founder of Thrivall, brings extensive experience from working with over 100 different organisations in the last 20+ years, in a range of senior leadership, charity Trustee and consultancy roles. Anwen founded a strategic marketing consultancy focused on growing purpose and impact-driven business as a force for good. She is also a published author and professional speaker.
Dan Corpe, is Partnerships Director & Co-founder, began his career in technology retail, progressing over two decades to lead large teams in flagship stores. He then applied his skills in recruitment before launching a business relationship building consultancy. He is trained in Counselling Skills, is a School Enterprise Advisor, Mentor to Young Entrepreneurs and has served as Trustee for a national mental health charity.
THE PANEL
Our interactive panel will discuss the role that ‘having fun’ has in today’s hybrid workplace. How do we inspire our colleagues, teams and employees to make the best out of working, playing and performing to the best of our abilities? And what strategies can we employ to manage our mental health and wellbeing?
Lynne Parker (host) is the founder of Funny Women created in 2002 in response to a comedy promoter who said that ‘women aren’t funny’. The Funny Women Awards are central to this acclaimed non-profit community, empowering women to perform, write and develop their own distinctive voice professionally and personally.
Lynne describes Funny Women as her ‘life’s work’ providing a safe, diverse, creative environment for women. She also uses her experience in comedy to coach and encourage people to perform in business and public life with her Stand Up to Stand Out workshops and bespoke events under ‘sister’ brand HERlarious.
Lynne was recognized with two awards in 2024: Most Inspiring Businesswoman in the Best Businesswomen Awards and Leader of Social Impact in the Athena40 Awards.
Roland Stanley is a fourth-generation business owner from Medway who regularly champions the town as an ideal location for business. His roots in Medway run deep, having spent his formative years there, attending Chatham South School during the late 1980s. Afterwards, Roland pursued culinary training and gained invaluable experience working in esteemed establishments across France and London, ultimately returning to Medway.
Throughout his career, Roland has ventured into diverse business sectors, including hospitality, property development, and rentals. Currently, his focus is directed towards Dragon Coworking, a thriving serviced office and hotdesking community, where bringing fun into the office is always on the daily agenda.
Jatin Patel is the founder and creative director of Kalikas Armour, luxury British sustainable fashion brand, creative consultancy and construction studio, specialising in conceptual design and bespoke, made to measure pieces from the Atelier in Rochester.
Exploring sustainable innovative materials with cross disciplinary collaborations and partnerships with international NGO’s and charities, Jatin’s passion for the creative industries, Medway and sustainable fashion is contagious. His masterpieces can be found on catwalks around the world but he has never forgotten his roots. Having studied and now living and working in Rochester, he is engaged tirelessly to promote the region as a creative business hub.
Tracy Bullock is the first female chair of Medway Rugby Club have appointed in 2021 ahead of their 90th season. She has been involved at Medway RFC for well over a decade, with both her sons playing through the minis, youth and into the senior squads.
Tracy has been the club treasurer before taking over the chair and has successfully navigated the club through some challenging times. Her relentless hard work has put the club in a really strong financial position for the future.
Lorraine Finn is the HR manager and culture and wellbeing lead for State 4 Restaurants, the leading franchisee for McDonald’s in Medway. She has worked for McDonald’s for almost 29 years and has experience in health promotions, community development, talent management and leadership.
McDonald’s is the world’s leading global foodservice retailer with over 37,000 locations in over 100 countries. More than 90% of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local business men and women. McDonald’s and its franchisees employ 1.9 million people worldwide.
LIVE COMEDY
Join us for light lunch and a few laughs before you head back to work! No Funny Women event is complete without some brilliant live comedy!
Hosted by Nic Lamont, one of our workshop facilitators (featured above), with two fantastic performances by:
Susan Mattocks hails from Medway, spending the past 27 years of her life living in Australia where she learnt to speak Australian (go you good thing!). Her passion is comedy and brevity which is why she loves writing funny 10-minute plays and five-minute comedy sets (a short attention span is a contributing factor). Her plays have won awards in Australia and her claim to fame is that she once performed as a warm-up comedian for actor/comedian Peter Rowsthorn… you know… Kim’s boyfriend in Kath and Kim? Okay, well, people in Australia would be impressed (ya bloody legend!)
Pauline Eyre is a professional comedian from London who is best described as warm, wonderfully funny and you’ll leave wanting to be her pal! Pauline has appeared in two Edinburgh shows: Better 2018 & Buffering 2019 and developed her first solo show All Change during 2019 & 2020, performing it several times online due to the pandemic. Pauline’s most recent solo show Body, toured the UK and had a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2024. Her comedy examines what it means to be a woman in your 50s and learning to live with some of the most special and perhaps horrifying experiences of life.
INTRODUCING OUR NEW MEDIA PARTNER!
As if all that’s not enough, we are delighted that Rachael Bryant and Ben Bryant of Your Video Team will be providing an exclusive Video Podcast studio to capture interviews, voxpops, talking heads and chat live from the event, encouraging attendees to share their experiences on the day for a special highlight reel.
Ready to grow your business? Let’s make you the hero of your brand! 
‘Your Video Team produces high-quality Video Podcasts, turning one recording into a year’s worth of powerful content, positioning you as the industry expert—someone your audience trusts, follows, and buys from.’
Lights. 
Camera. 
Video Podcast.
WE CAN’T WAIT TO WELCOME YOU TO ASCEND CO-WORKING ON TUESDAY 18TH MARCH FROM 9.30AM TO 2.00PM.
TO BOOK YOUR FREE PLACE PLEASE REGISTER HERE.
