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Home2024-03-15T10:33:38+00:00

Celebrating 32 years of recognising Inspiring Women

We are working behind the scenes to bring you another memorable Inspiring Women Awards lunch. Drinks Reception, Entertainment, Guest Award Announcers, Finalist Interviews, Guest Speakers, a 5* Lunch and a Post Awards Party complete an exciting line up. Visit our 2024 Events Page to learn more about the 2024 Inspiring Women Awards Lunch on 17/05/2024 at the Award winning Lowry Hotel.

Judging is over and Finalists notified.  

Judges always try to find finalists who represent different aspects of each category and that takes time, consideration and debate. This process is by far the hardest part of organising the awards and yet somehow they always manage to finally agree on who those finalists and winners will be.

Names of the finalists are below and they will be interviewed at the 2024 Awards lunch before winners announced.  Profiles of the finalists will be published on a weekly basis in our newsletter and on our website in ‘news’. To keep up to date, please sign up to our newsletter 

Our 2024 Finalists

Gemma Aitchison – YES Matters UK

Dr Parul Baranwal – Oregon Dept of Environmental Quality

Dr Amy Benstead – University of Manchester

Dr Anita Bhanja – Eternal Paws

Nicole Broad – The Fruit Moth

Evie Canavan BEM – Perinatal Mental Health Partnership

Olivia Clarke – Young Manchester

Jo Conlon – University of Manchester

Charlotte Knowles – Elektec

Caroline Kende-Robb – African Development Bank

Deborah Lawson – Disability Advocate

Karen Livsey – No Whispers

Kate McCarthy-Booth – The Ukrainian Family Hub

Helen Pankhurst – GM4Women

Lindsay Pressdee – University of Manchester

Dr Medha Tadpatrikar – Rudra Blue Planet Environmental Solutions (India)

 2023 Winners celebrating at The Lowry Hotel 

32 years and still going strong

Over the past 32 years, the Inspiring Women Awards lunch has become known for giving a platform to the finalists to share their stories in their own words. Guests always comment that they don’t know how we find these remarkable women year on year, but are glad we do and so are we. The Awards exist to share these stories and shine a light on these inspiring women and 2023 was another good year for doing just that.

Everyone had a lovely day, laughter, tears, and came away very inspired. We will be back next year                                   Vicky Laight, Revolution Bars Group.

This year we had two additional speakers, Awards sponsor and previous award winner, Dr Shikha Pitalia who shared her own NHS and private practice experiences and Viv Barclay, who at 59 aims to become the oldest female to cross the Atlantic solo. (you can catch both of these on the 2023 videos).

“I’m so proud to have won the Here Come The Girls award and stand alongside the talented and passionate women nominated in the other categories. It meant a great deal to have my work and causes recognised, surrounded by so many phenomenal and diverse women working to make the world a better and more equitable place. I haven’t stopped smiling since the awards lunch, it’s an experience I know will keep me boosted, and stoke the fire in my belly as I continue to move forward. I hope my story connects with and inspires other women to stand up for themselves and each other”. Kerry Daynes  Consultant & Forensic Psychologist / Here come the Girls award winner 2023

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Nominations for the 33rd annual Inspiring Women Awards (2025) are now open and close on 31/12/2024. The shortlist will be published in February 2025 and the winners announced at the Awards lunch on 16th May 2025.

Be inspired

Founded in 1992, the Inspiring Women Awards have, over the past 30 years, publicly recognised and promoted the achievements of 100’s women who live or work in the North West of England, North Wales and in 2022, nationally and internationally. Many of our award winners have gone on to receive further recognition through our Honours system and in 2023, three more were honoured: Dr Gee Walker MBE; Marie McCourt MBE and Dee Drake BEM.

These evolving Awards have stood the test of time because at their heart is the desire to continue finding and recognising those women who inspire us.

Nominate here

Click here to nominate who you think deserves recognition for her hard work.

Attend the awards

Click here to book your table or reservation at next years award ceremony.

Our awards videos

You can view all of our previous event videos here, and see the winners for each year.

The Inspiring Young Woman Foundation

The Foundation was established in 2010 to fund a bursary for the Inspiring Young Woman Award winners and fund local projects that concentrate on the wellbeing of our young women.

Our recent tweets

Our 2023 programme

View this year’s programme here for an overview of the day.

“The Inspiring Women Awards shine a light on hundreds of inspirational women from all walks of life in the North West of England and North Wales. Publicly celebrating and promoting the achievements of women in business and the community is critical to ensuring the impact they are having is recognised, and it also provides a cadre of visible role models to inspire the next generation of leaders. I am honoured and humbled to have received the 2019 Constance Award, and am determined to continue quietly making a difference in all that I do.“

Sharon Thorne, Deloitte

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