A host of new categories are among the 20 being contested this year, including Women of Courage; Excellence In Independent Food Businesses; Excellence In Marketing & Media; Women in Property and Inclusive Leadership/Women on Boards.
The gongs are also honouring, among others, Start-up of the Year, Trailblazer/Entrepreneur; Excellence In Health and Wellbeing; Charity of the Year & Community Advocate, Family Business of the Year, Business Consultant; Excellence in professional Services; Excellence In Technology; Start-Up and Business Man of the Year. Big awards on the night will also be presented to Inspirational Women and Business Woman of the Year as well as Lifetime Achievement.
Headline sponsors are Edwards Wealth, in Berkswell; Alsters Kelley Solicitors, which has branches in Coventry and Warwickshire; Midlands-based recruitment agency Pertemps Network; IXL Centre in Southam; Mallory Court Country House in Leamington; Bia’s Kitchen Show in Leamington and Sandhu Foods.
The Awards were unveiled at The House of Commons in February and are headed up by Ladies First director Tracey McAtamney from Balsall Common.
Tracey said: “What an incredible day filled with inspiration, introductions and networking, Mallory Court was buzzing with six teams of judges and ninety finalists across the day. A huge thank you to all of our sponsors, finalists, judges and Ladies First Team for making the day so special.”
Finalists from Warwickshire dominate the Business Woman of the Year category, including Sophie Howe of Comtec Translations in Leamington; Abigail Edmunds from Domino Style in Stratford; Jenny Hooper of Independent Freight in Nuneaton and Clare Randall, of Stonewall Security, in Rugby.
Among those competing for Business Man of the Year are: Chris Pickering of L Pickering & Sons in Warwick; David Perry of Dave Perry Photography, from Leamington; Steve Bazell of That Gin Company and That Burger Company in Warwick and Shipston and Malcolm Freeman of Oxygen Elements, Rugby.
The Charity of the Year category includes You Can Flourish in Leamington; Arrive Alive Charity, in Henley and Helping Hands in Leamington, while the Community Award finalists include The Esther Project, in Leamington; Linda John, of The Rotary Club of Leamington; Priory Pools Community Centre, in Warwick and Warwickshire Parent Career Voice.
While Community of the Year is represented by Lianne Kirkman for The Esther Project, in Leamington; Amanda Burford, for Priory Pools Community Centre Charity, in Warwick; Linda John, for Leamington Rotary Club and Elaine Lambe for Warwickshire Parent Career Voice.
The region takes a clean sweep with finalists for the Family Business category - with The Fleur de Lys, in Lowsonford up against The Stratford Park Hotel & Golf Club in Stratford; The Pin Wheel Patisserie Ltd, in Leamington; AH Spares in Southam; Aubrey Allen in Leamington and Fabulous Suppers in Stratford.
And vying in the Trailblazer category are Molly Shanahan, of Forrest Coffee House in Kenilworth; Toni Rowles, of Vogue International Hairdressing, in Leamington and Emma Betteridge, of Mucky Pups Training Academy, in Bulkington.
Up for two awards are: Amanda Chalmers, from Warwick, (Excellence In Media & Marketing and Excellence In Professional Services); Iliada Rossi of Rossi Studio, Warwick (Excellence In Technology & Innovation and Women In Property); Dr Hazel Parkinson, from Southam (Excellence In Health & Wellbeing Beauty and Start-up of the Year) and Emma and Nick Woodhouse from The Fleur de Lys pub in Lowsonford (Family Business of the Year and Excellence In Independent Food Business.)
For the full list of finalists visit: https://ladiesfirstnetwork.co.uk/
This year’s awards are also supporting fundraising for vital cancer equipment for local hospitals.
To enquire about sponsorship opportunities contact Tracey McAtamney at: [email protected]
Photo Credit: Jane Collier
