THE Lord Mayor of Bradford is hosting a ladies' lunch at City Hall to mark International Women's Day.

Bradford Council's chief executive Kersten England (pictured) will be the guest speaker at the Lord Mayor's Appeal International Women's Day Lunch on Friday, March 4.

Ms England is the lead chief executive for innovation and growth in the Leeds City Region, a trustee of the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, a member of the Council of the University of Bradford and of the National Media Museum's Advisory Board.

She has worked in the voluntary sector, higher education and central government as well as 21 years in local government.

Hosted by Lord Mayor, Councillor Joanne Dodds, the lunch will be held from noon in City Hall's Banqueting Suite. Tickets, at £17.50, are available from the Civic Affairs Office on 01274 432276.

Women attending the lunch are asked to bring gifts of toiletries, which will be distributed to local women who are carers or people in need.