Jenny Floyd (née Russell 1953 – )
Jenny Floyd represents the third generation of a Stonehouse family that has, over the last 100 years, made major contributions to Plymouth and society. The daughter of Phyllis Russell, niece of Mabel Ellen March and granddaughter of Mabel March, she has followed the family tradition of social activism stretching back into the nineteenth century. She has written a family memoir, ‘Daring to Dance with Dinosaurs’ (2018), ensuring that the memories of those she describes as ‘strong and inspiring women’ should not be lost. A naturally talented swimmer, Jenny took to the water very early. As a schoolgirl at St George’s Primary, then Devonport High and a member of the Devonport Royal Swimming Association, she competed locally, regionally and nationally winning many trophies and titles. In 1970, she was one of the all-girls crew on Hoshi in the Tall Ships Race under 50 tons class, sailing from Plymouth Sound to La Coruna, Spain; they were the winners in their class. Like her mother Phyllis, Jenny was a natural instructor, teaching water sports during school holidays and weekends. She was the first female, and the youngest, Royal Yachting Association Coach in 1972! Enjoying new challenges, she also learned canoeing and kayaking. Typical of the women of her family, Jenny was not content simply to learn to paddle – she wanted to master self-rescue after a capsize by learning to roll and right her kayak. Next came instructing and coaching others by qualifying as a British Canoe Union Senior Instructor for Sea and later Inland Canoeing. Her water-related activities led her, while still a teenager, to working with disadvantaged youngsters and offenders, firstly on Drake’s Island, then further afield. Her practical skills, taught by her family, always stood her in good stead. Despite the challenge of very serious injuries in a car crash, after recuperation and resuming water-sports instructing in Jersey, Jenny returned to Marjons, Plymouth, for her teacher training. It opened her eyes to a whole new sphere of activism. She became determined not just to teach formally, but more significantly, to see education as a holistic exercise where she could make a positive impact in and out of the classroom, often speaking up for those whose difficulties went unrecognised, or whose voices were not being heard. She continued instructing and competing, even winning the Ladies National Surf Canoeing Championships in 1977, using those opportunities to highlight gender unfairness in accessing sports and resources. After Cornwall, her teaching career continued in Plymouth and West Devon. She maintained her close family links and interests in Stonehouse throughout. She still tries to make her home city of Plymouth a better place to live and work. Fuelled by her love of sea, coast and countryside, and, always intensely practical, she now focuses her campaigning and voluntary activities on key environmental issues, as part of Environment Plymouth, the Friends of Radford Woods, Climate Action Plymouth, the Jar Squad and other such groups.