As a young woman, Catherine Ricketts ran the Presbyterian Girl’s Sunday school &, in 1863, was a founding member of Brighton’s Young Women’s Christian Association which she ran for 15 years.
In 1870, she stood successfully for Brighton’s 1st School Board despite opposition to women standing for public office. She topped the poll in the elections. For the next 8 years she was a dynamic member of the board & stamped her ideas on children’s education on the town. Her innovations included women assistants, an educational census of the town & ensuring buildings taken over as schools were fit for purpose. She pressed for new schools to be built as there was a shortfall of 3000 places. She employed ‘motherly visitors’ who encourage families to send children to school & invited parents onto management committees.
In 1878, she went to China as a missionary where she died. There are no photos of Ricketts but to the left is a photo of one of the schools she campaigned for.
