Bristol Entrepreneur Triumphs at Prestigious Women's Business Awards

The Winter Gardens in Blackpool was the setting for an electrifying evening on Friday 27 September, as the 2024 Enterprise Vision Awards (The EVAS) celebrated the outstanding achievements of women in business. As the UK’s largest awards dedicated to female entrepreneurs, the event attracted attendees from across the country and a global audience, with viewers tuning in from India, the USA, and New Zealand.

The energy in the room was electric as small businesses, social enterprises, and global brands came together to connect, collaborate, and celebrate the shared spirit of female entrepreneurship. It was a night of valuable networking, idea exchanges, and opportunities to raise brand profiles and forge new partnerships. The camaraderie in the room was undeniable, and heartfelt acceptance speeches filled the night with emotion and inspiration.

Now in its 13th year, the EVAS continues to shine a spotlight on women leading change and innovation. This year, over 150 trailblazing women from diverse industries were honoured for their creativity, resilience, and entrepreneurial drive.

Local entrepreneur Jessica Crane triumphed in the highly competitive Training & Coaching Award category. Her coaching business empowers women to transform their lives, and their children's, through business acumen, mindset development, and skill-building. The judges praised Crane, saying, "She equips her clients with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to make impactful business decisions, amplifying their resources and driving significant change. Starting her industry journey at just 12 years old, Jessica has expertly transitioned her expertise online, adapting seamlessly to meet the needs of her clients' busy lives."

The prestigious Outstanding Achievement Award was presented to Christine Nichols of Atlantic Pacific Global by NatWest. Recently honoured with the King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade, Nichols is celebrated as a passionate advocate for gender equality, with 50% of her company’s board comprised of women. A true force of nature, she is a self-starter, game-changer, and champion for women in her industry. From climbing Mount Everest to providing homes for vulnerable children, this trailblazing entrepreneur became the first female chair of the London Freight Club, continually promoting diversity and inclusion in her field.

Katrina Hutchinson O’Neill of Join Talent took home the prestigious Business Woman of the Year award. In her impactful speech, she praised her fellow finalists and highlighted the persistent inequality in funding for female entrepreneurs, noting that investment has worsened over the past decade, decreasing from 2p per pound to 1.8p. Revolutionising the recruitment industry, she offers a hyper-agile managed service talent acquisition model, serving some of the world’s most dynamic companies.

Heather Waters, Regional Enterprise Manager NW at NatWest expressed her excitement: “We’ve been proud sponsors of the Enterprise Vision Awards for 11 years. This was a truly inspirational evening, celebrating the success of ambitious, tenacious women entrepreneurs. Congratulations to all the winners and finalists - your dedication, talent, and hard work have been rightfully recognised.”

The highly contested Inspirational Woman of the Year Award was won by Juliet Sanders of Feeding Families. Turning her own pain into purpose, Juliet strives to be the person she once needed the most and inspires others to do the same. Her charity has distributed in excess of a million food items to over 46,000 households and has seen demand rise by a staggering 101% in the last 12 months.

Coral Horn, founder of the EVAS, added: “Our mission is to champion women in business, from startups to industry giants. These awards give a voice to the women who are driving change. The room was filled with businesses, from those turning over tens of thousands to billions, united by a common goal: to inspire and empower women to aim higher.”

The full list of winners are:

• Outstanding Woman of the Year Award sponsored by NatWest - Winner, Christine Nichols of the Atlantic Pacific Group

• Business Woman of the Year Award sponsored by Stella Insurance - Winner, Katrina Hutchinson-O'Neill of Join Talent

• Best Business Award sponsored by Chorley Council - Winner, Julie Robinson of Eagley School House Nursery

• Creative Industry Award sponsored by Glazey Days - Winner, Pamela Aculey of Just Like Me Books & MIXD Reality

• Customer Service Award sponsored by LaserHQ - Winner, Rebecca Morgan-Brennan of Morgan’s Wigs

• Diverse Business Award sponsored by United Utilities - Winner, Cheryl Loak of TUTS UK

• Employer of the Year Award sponsored by Porsche Centre Preston - Winner, Helen Clayton of PM+M

• Family Business Award sponsored by Maria Fogg Family Law - Winners, Jenny McFadden & Alex Malley of Pretty Mama

• Health & Wellbeing Award sponsored by Sid Hill Transport - Winner, April Wild of Wild & Wild

• Hospitality Industry Award sponsored by Perfect Recruitment - Winner, Rachael Foster-Jacob of Short But Sweet

• Inspirational Woman of the Year Award sponsored by Pink Link - Winner, Juliet Sanders of Feeding Families

• New Business Award sponsored by Pro-Business Consulting - Winners, Katie Summers & Julianna Beavan of The Mellow Patch Company

• Not For Profit Award sponsored by Blackpool Transport - Winner, Fiona Moss of The Natalie Kate Moss Trust

• One To Watch Award sponsored by BAE Systems - Winners, Abigayle Clayton-Grimshaw & Sophie Birtwell of House of Clarity

• Professional Services Award sponsored by Adlington Law - Winner, Melissa Gauge of SpareMyTime

• Retail Business Award - Winner, Emma Haigh of Jailhouse Frock

• Scale Up Award sponsored by Studio.LWD - Winner, Preeti Choudhary of Pro-Business Consulting

• Sustainable Business Award sponsored by Crowberry Consulting - Winners Shalom Lloyd MBE & Hannah White of Naturally Tribal Skincare

• Training & Coaching Award sponsored by Del Parsons Coaching - Winner, Jessica Crane of Jessica Crane LTD

• Young Entrepreneur Award sponsored by the Centre of Excellence - Winner, Nadina Grigoras of Milky Plant

• Inspirational Woman of the Year Award sponsored by Pink Link - Highly Commended, Francesca Barker-Mills of Coming Home

• One To Watch Award sponsored by BAE Systems - Highly Commended, Alice Potter of AJP Social Studio

• Special Recognition Award, Champion of Women - Heather Waters of NatWest

The 2025 Enterprise Vision Awards will open for nominations on Monday, 20 January. For more information, visit enterprisevisionawards.co.uk or contact Coral Horn.