Alison Shaffner, Area Manager at Leeds Ahead and former manager of the West Leeds Family Learning Centre attended a special event with Rachel Reeves at 10 Downing Street to celebrate international women's day with Gordon and Sarah Brown. Rachel said: "It's not only women who make a difference to communities. But the experience of women - as mothers, as carers and as workers do give women a huge insight and stake in their communities. Alison was just one woman of a hundred women thanked this evening by the Prime Minister and Sarah Brown, and they are just one hundred of the thousands of women, up and down the country making a difference to the lives of millions."