Lancashire Finalists Announced – 2023 Enterprise Vision Awards
Lancashire ladies are leading the way as 51 hopefuls are amongst the outstanding female entrepreneurs revealed as finalists at the 2023 Enterprise Vision Awards; five of these are based in Fylde.
- Khyra Kershaw of The Hop Shoppe (Hospitality Industry), St Annes
- Nikki Hesford of The Small Business Academy (Training and Coaching) Higher Ballam
- Sophie Mellor of Home Instead Lytham, Wyre & Fylde (Employer) Whitehills Business Park
- Tracey Bush of One Fylde (Not For Profit)
- Zowi Whittaker of Fox Brothers Group (Diverse Business)
The UK’s largest business awards dedicated solely to women. Now in its 12th year, the EVAS shines the spotlight on women from all business types. From social enterprise and small artisan businesses to ground-breaking innovators and global brands, the awards showcase their successes and achievements.
These inspirational women were selected from almost 1500 nominations and entries and include a wide variety of industries. The finalists are the trailblazers and game-changers; the role models who will inspire the next generation of female entrepreneurs and encourage more women and girls to aim high. These women play an active role in the community, are important contributors to the economy and deserve to be recognised for their accomplishments.
The Rose Review, published by the awards’ headline sponsor, NatWest, show that over 150,000 new all-women led companies were founded last year – more than ever before. A fifth of new incorporations in 2022 were all-female led, a figure that has risen from 16% in 2018. The biggest leap was among 16 to 25-year-old female founders, which rose by almost a quarter. Whilst these figures are encouraging, the stark fact remains that only 1 in 3 entrepreneurs in the UK are women.
There are 18 awards to be won as well as the highly coveted Outstanding Achievement Award which has previously been won by Deborah Dixon, Maggie Oliver and Susanna Lawson.
The high calibre of the entries has increased the pressure on the judging panel who will be responsible for choosing this year’s winners at the next stage when the finalists attend an online interview.
Speaking about the finalists, last year’s Business Woman of the Year, Sam White, founder of Stella Insurance in the UK and Australia said “As women in business, we have all experienced the dreaded ‘no, your idea is not for us’, but that doesn’t mean it’s not for someone else. We shouldn’t forget how strong we are. Don’t let one failure make you feel like everything is all doom and gloom. I’m not just a businesswoman – I’m a leader, a mother, a wife, a colleague and a friend. This gives me the strength to pick myself up and keep moving forward, as we all should. The EVAS is a great platform to make powerful introductions to business leaders and mentors, opening opportunities to build commercial relationships, and attract investors.”
The winners will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony at The Winter Gardens in Blackpool on Friday 29 September. For further information about the finalists or to book tickets to attend the awards ceremony, visit: www.enterprisevisionawards.co.uk.
The full list of 2023 Enterprise Vision Awards Finalists can be found here www.enterprisevisionawards.co.uk/finalists
The Pink Link Ladies contact details: 01772 348309
