BBC Radio 4’s Jenni Murray is inspirational guest of honour at Queen’s School prize-giving in Chester

Dec 17 2009 by Jo Henwood, Chester Chronicle

AN ICON of women’s radio encouraged Queen’s School girls to fulfil their potential at a special ceremony ceremony.

Ms Murray’s advised the young women to take equality for granted and suggested that husbands and partners should take their share of household chores and child-rearing duties to ensure a fair balance of labour.

Jenni Murray OBE, of Radio 4’s Women’s Hour, was guest of honour at the school’s annual prize-giving, which recognises students’ academic, musical and sporting achievements.

Prizes for outstanding achievement at GCSE and A-Level were awarded to commend a year when students smashed all school records and achieved the best results in the history of Queen’s.

Senior students were also presented with trophies and cups in recognition of their outstanding academic, musical and sporting accomplishments over the last 12 months.

The guest speaker, Jenni Murray, encouraged the girls to fulfil their own potential. Jenni is an inspirational figure for young women. Her phenomenal achievements include Radio Broadcaster of the Year, an OBE for radio broadcasting, membership of the Radio Academy Hall of Fame and a lifetime achievement award from the Media Society. In recognition of her outstanding services to broadcasting, she was also awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters.

Headmistress Catherine Buckley said: “I am delighted that Jenni agreed to address our girls. As one of the country’s leading feminists who combines the roles of wife and mother with being an author, columnist, documentary film-maker as well as broadcaster, she is the perfect role model.”

Ms Murray was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006. Following treatment, she returned to Woman’s Hour towards the end of 2007 and now plays a key role in supporting cancer charities.