Civic Pride nominee – Jenna Goodwin (aka The Red-Haired Stokie)

Civic Pride nominee – Jenna Goodwin (aka The Red-Haired Stokie)

Jenna Goodwin is using her photography skills to educate people on the rich history of Stoke-on-Trent.

The 37-year-old, who is known on social media as The Red-Haired Stokie, uses her platform to spread positivity.

Jenna, from Abbey Hulton, said: “I was writing articles online and I noticed that interest was growing bigger and bigger. It was then that I realised I needed to create an accessible way for people to see my content.”

In 2022 Jenna set up the Red-Haired Stokie website alongside her full-time job as an equine photographer. The website includes history articles, a shop, guided walks, a podcast and a video showcase, some of which recently went viral on social media.

She said: “The response has been amazing. The stories have garnered such positivity around the city and it’s what drives me to continue.

“It’s important to make local history inclusive and accessible. It’s also important to have a platform which makes history easy to digest and understand. Finally, there is no doubt that our city has a mixed reputation. The city is steeped in history and heritage and the people are proud. My platform looks to promote everything good in the city while telling all the stories of who we are and how we got here. I’m fostering a positive future.”

Jenna has been nominated in the Civic Pride category of the Your Heroes Awards by her mum, Julie.

Julie said: “In the past few years she has worked diligently to put Stoke-on-Trent on the map in a positive way. She is a firm believer that good, positive news spreads far and wide and has shown that we can all look to the future of the city with hope and celebrate its spectacular history with pride.”

Jenna added: “I feel overwhelmed. I don’t do my work for this sort of recognition; however if I can shine a positive light on the city then my work is all the more worthwhile.”