Finalists announced for seventh inspirational women awards

Finalists, selected from hundreds of nominations from across the country, were invited to an independent judging day at Mallory Court Country House Hotel & Spa in Leamington Spa, ahead of a prestigious awards ceremony at Dallas Burston Polo Club, in Southam, Warwickshire, on June 5.

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 Spa and Sandhu Foods.

The Awards were unveiled at The House of Commons in February and are headed up by Ladies First director Tracey McAtamney.

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 for the big award of the night - Business Woman of the Year - include Sophie Howe of Comtec Translations in Leamington Spa; Abigail Edmunds from Domino Style in Stratford-upon-Avon; Jenny Hooper of Independent Freight in Nuneaton; Clare Randall, of Stonewall Security; in Rugby and Lauren Guthrie, of Guthrie & Ghani Ltd, Birmingham.

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 Spa; Steve Bazell of That Gin Company and That Burger Company in Warwick and Shipston and Malcolm Freeman of Oxygen Elements, Rugby; Ronaldo Hare, of Men's Prosperity Club, C.I.C Birmingham; Daniel Skermer, of PA Forum, Birmingham; Chris Boehm, of Leap IT, Hockley Heath; Sam Olive, of Wine Freedom Ltd, Chipping Norton and Malcolm Freeman - Oxygen Elements, Rugby.

The Woman of Courage award is being contested by Emily Bu of The Valley, Evesham; Jade Horton, of Merkaba Holistics, Stamford; Gemma Mills, of Born2Sing, Birmingham; Natalie Heeley, of Forever Living, Worcester; Danielle Mosson, of Jessie’s Journey, Staffordshire and Maxine Faulder, of AboutFace Training, in Birmingham.

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, of The Esther Project, Leamington Spa; Amanda Burford Priory Pools Community Centre Charity, in Warwick; Linda John, of Rotary Club, in Leamington Spa; Elaine Lambe - Warwickshire Parent Career Voice, Warwickshire; Caroline Phansi, of Contento Social Homes CIC, Birmingham and Louise Baker, of Auto Angels, Birmingham.

It’s Warwickshire that 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-upon-Avon; The Pin Wheel Patisserie Ltd, in Leamington Spa; AH Spares in Southam; Aubrey Allen in Leamington Spa and Fabulous Suppers in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Up for potential double awards success 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.) and Louise Baker (Community and Trailblazer)

Full list:

Business Woman of the Year (Sponsored by Edwards Wealth)

Sophie Howe - Comtec Translations, Leamington

Abigail Edmunds - Domino Style, Stratford

Jenny Hooper - Independent Freight, Nuneaton

Clare Randall - Stonewall Security, Rugby

Lauren Guthrie - Guthrie & Ghani Ltd, Birmingham

Business Consultant/Coach of the Year (Sponsored by Pentlands Accountants)

Clare Haynes - WildFire, Leamington

Kerrianne Cartmer-Edwards - Unforgettable Impact, Leamington

Sarah Cooper-Robins - Inner Leader, Leamington

Excellence in Marketing & Media (Sponsored by Shakespeare Media)

Amanda Chalmers - Chalmers News PR, Warwick

Harpreet Stevenson - Collective Companion, Warwickshire

Laura Bradley - Sock and Buskin Marketing & PR, Warwickshire

Emily Burton - The Valley, Evesham

Inclusive Leadership/Women on Boards (Sponsored by Pertemps Network Group)

Reena Jaisiah - Caste Away Arts, Coventry

Jenny Hooper - Independent Freight, Nuneaton

Sophie Howe - Comtec Translations, Leamington

Trusha Lakhani - Great Business Matters, Hinckley

Rising Star & Future Leader (Sponsored by Alsters Kelley Solicitors)

Gabriela Goldberg - Trainee Solicitor, Birmingham

Donna Fletcher - Social Work Toolkit, Coleshill

Rachel Kerr - Albert & Mae Wealth Management, Kenilworth

Cllr Mariam Khan - Birmingham City Council, Birmingham

Woman of Courage (Sponsored by Nailcote Hall)

Emily Burton - The Valley, Evesham

Jade Horton - Merkaba Holistics, Stamford

Gemma Mills - Born2Sing, Birmingham

Natalie Heeley - Forever Living, Worcester

Danielle Mosson Jessie’s Journey, Staffordshire

Maxine Faulder - AboutFace Training, Birmingham

Trailblazer (Sponsored by Chalmers News PR)

Molly Shanahan - Forrest Coffee House, Kenilworth

Toni Rowles - Vogue International Hairdressing, Leamington

Lindsey Gillespie - Pawesome Pets Grooming School, Coventry

Gemma Mills - Born2Sing, Birmingham

Louise Baker - Womanic, Birmingham

Emma Betteridge - Mucky Pups Training Academy, Bulkington

Charity of the Year (Sponsored by Mallory Court)

Jenny Dean - You Can Flourish, Leamington

Debbie Roscoe - Arrive Alive Charity, Henley

Stacey Calder - Helping Hands, Leamington

Sarah Raven Price - Ravens Rescue UK, Dudley

Community of the Year (Sponsored by Mallory Court)

Lianne Kirkman - The Esther Project, Leamington

Amanda Burford Priory Pools Community Centre Charity, Warwick

Linda John - Rotary Club, Leamington

Elaine Lambe - Warwickshire Parent Career Voice, Warwickshire

Caroline Phansi - Contento Social Homes CIC, Birmingham

Louise Baker - Auto Angels, Birmingham

Women in Property (Sponsored by Feldon Dunsmore Solicitors)

Nicola Williams -Ewe Move, Leamington

Preeti Lekhi - Seymours Solicitors, Leamington

Iliada Rossi - Rossi Studio Ltd, Warwick

Family Business (Sponsored by Franklin & Hawkins)

Emma & Nick Woodhouse - The Fleur de Lys, Lowsonford

Beverly Haynes - The Stratford Park Hotel & Golf Club, Stratford

Keira Row - The Pin Wheel Patisserie Ltd, Leamington

Rebecca Kemsley - AH Spares, Southam

Lucianne Allen - Aubrey Allen, Leamington

Tracy Benbow & Wendy Coris - Fabulous Suppers, Stratford

Excellence in Health & Wellbeing (Sponsored by Air Aesthetics)

Nikki Lawrance, Laura Tatlow, Adele Fyfield - Retreat With Us, Redditch

Mandy Rees - Mother for Life, Birmingham

Kendal Tipper - Wellbeing Consultant, Birmingham

Jade Horton - Merkaba Holistics, Stamford

Donna Maria-Grant - Tummy2Mummy Midwifery & Scanning Services, Hinckley

Excellence in Health & Beauty (Sponsored by Ladies First)

Dr Hazel Parkinson - Dr Hazel Skin Solutions, Southam

Tracy Richardson - Serendipity Wellness® Rugby

Doreth Abrahams - Laydidee's Natural Skincare Ltd, Wolverhampton

Paola Spiga - Glam & Glow Beauty Lab, Hockley Heath

Excellence in Technology (Sponsored by Leap IT)

Alana Patchett - Purple Monster, Warwick

Laura Seymour - Fish In A Bottle, Leamington

Mari Carmen - Matresa, Leamington

Donna Fletcher - Social Work Toolkit, Coleshill

Iliada Rossi - Rossi Studio, Warwick

Laura Barrow Collins - Aerospace Actuation Systems, Stafford

Influencer of the Year (Sponsored by Audley Binswood)

Bianca Perry - Bia’s Kitchen Show, Leamington

Clare Haynes - Wildfire, Leamington

Kimberley Spivey - Craft Beer Pin Up, Leamington

Maxine Faulder – AboutFace, Solihull

Michelle Cooper - Make New Friends, Birmingham

Start-up of the Year (Sponsored by Glam & Glow Beauty Lab)

Natalka Hunka - Aspire HR & Training Consultants, Knowle

Dr Hazel Parkinson - Dr Hazel Skin Solutions, Southam

Justyna Kruzyk - Muddy Munchkins Playgroup, Stratford

Rebecca Blay - Fantasy Gymnastics Club, Solihull

Toni Delli-Compagni - Little Ensemble, Bicester

Leanne Tulley - Art of Beauty Medical Aesthetics, Birmingham

Excellence in Professional Services (Sponsored by Alsters Kelley Solicitors)

Amanda Chalmers - Chalmers News PR, Warwick

Elinor Perry - Pentlands Accountants, Leamington

Samantha Aspin - Elite Funeral Services, Stalybridge, Manchester

Beverly Clarke - Spear Travel, Stratford

Iliada Rossi - Rossi Studio, Warwick

Business Man of the Year (Sponsored by Pertemps Network Group)

Dave Perry - Dave Perry Photography, Leamington

Chris Pickering - L. Pickering & Sons, Warwick

Steve Bazell - That Gin Company, Warwick & That Burger Company, Shipston

Chris Boehm - Leap IT, Hockley Heath/Balsall Common

Sam Olive - Wine Freedom Ltd, Chipping Norton

Malcolm Freeman - Oxygen Elements, Rugby

Inspirational Man of the Year (Sponsored by Pertemps Network Group)

Joe Best - Perfect Support, Blackpool

Ronaldo Hare - Men's Prosperity Club, C.I.C Birmingham

Daniel Skermer - PA Forum, Birmingham

Excellence in food (Sponsored by Bia’s Kitchen Show)

Cynthia Tamraz - Café Desa, Leamington

Emma & Nick Woodhouse - The Fleur de Lys, Lowsonford

Cathy Homer - Posh Pudding Pots, Nuneaton

Sophie Hyam - Culinary Bites with Sophie, Coventry

Molly Shanahan, Forrest Coffee House, Kenilworth

For the full list of finalists visit: 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]