Staffordshire trailblazers take top honours at national 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.

Two Staffordshire women walked away with awards. April Wild, founder of Wild & Wild, was thrilled to take home the Health and Wellbeing Award. Wild & Wild has become a hub for natural wellness, with a focus on empowering women through a variety of offerings, including monthly retreats, women’s networking events, mummy wellness mornings, and corporate wellness programs. April expressed her gratitude, saying, "I am absolutely elated and deeply honoured to have won this award. It reaffirms the importance of our mission to empower women and reminds me how much I love what I do. I’m excited for what’s ahead in 2025."

The judges praised Wild & Wild for creating a dynamic space that transforms health and wellbeing, empowering women to embrace their authentic selves and live with passion and purpose.

Winner of the Creative Industry Award, Pamela Aculey, founder of Just Like Me and MIXD Reality, was recognised for her groundbreaking work in transforming children's learning through augmented reality (AR) picture books. Just Like Me is the UK's first interactive and inclusive AR book series, designed to make learning accessible for all children, especially those with special educational needs. Pamela’s innovation extends further with MIXD Reality, which provides AR learning experiences that prioritise inclusivity and sustainable change in education.

A video of the book and how it works was shown to the audience and the judges said “Her passion for inclusive education is truly inspiring. By turning illustrated books into interactive experiences, she is revolutionising learning for children everywhere, driven by purpose rather than profit.”

Pamela, whose son was diagnosed with autism in 2017, created her book series in response to the lack of resources available. She continues to lead the way in AR learning, enhancing classroom and at-home learning experiences with empathy and innovation.

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.

The esteemed Outstanding Achievement Award awarded by NatWest, went to Christine Nichols of Atlantic Pacific Global. Recently awarded the King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade, Nichols was recognised as an advocate for gender equality, boasting a 50% female board within her own company as well as being a force of nature, self-starter, game-changer and champion for women in her industry.

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.

By Lizzie Beckford - contributor