INSPIRATIONAL Coventry achievers have been named among the finalists in the fifth Ladies First Network Business and Inspirational Women Awards.
The shortlists have been selected from a pool of more than 300 nominations by a panel of judges, with all the remaining contestants invited to an independent judging day at Metropolis next month.
They will all be able to attend an awards ceremony hosted by radio and TV presenter Sandra Godley at the Coombe Abbey Hotel on March 23.
New categories this year include Outstanding Woman In Sport, Outstanding Woman In Creative Arts and The Sandra Godley Music Award.
Sandra, who forms the Ladies First leadership team alongside Tracey McAtamney, said: “There is so much to celebrate about ordinary people doing extraordinary things in our communities, both here locally and abroad.”
Sarah Jones, of Fairy Ellen is among the finalists for Unique Business, while Zoe Whittacker’s Warrior’s World fitness centre in Rowley Drive will be looking to scoop the top prize in the New Business category.
Olympic judo star Chelsie Giles, MMA and fitness personal trainer Melissa Mullins and Coventry United Ladies manager Jay Bradford are in the race for the Women in Sport award.
Coventry creatives are well represented in the Woman In Music category, with finalists including Abz Winter, Ruth Kelly, Caitlin McCarthy and Lorna Dea.
The city’s representatives for the Service Provider of the Year are Helen Hibbert from Pertemps and Michelle Gavin of Band Hatton Button solicitors.
Melissa Smith, Penny Ann Interiors, Alex Johnson and Larna Andrews are the contender for the Outstanding Woman in the Creative Arts award.
The Health and Wellbeing category list features Coventrians such as Christine Frey of Glowing Older, Lily Samuels, of Lily Samuels Nutrition and Natalie Silverwood from One Fit Mama.
Jess McLish, who is from Balsall Common but runs Coventry Rocks, is shortlisted in two categories – Businesswoman of the Year and Woman of Achievement.
The Man of the Year category shortlist includes Adam Evans and John Coote for their work with the Coventry Comfort Carers outreach project and Michael Mogan who, along with his twin daughters, led a campaign to save Coventry United Ladies Football Club from liquidation.
The event will raise money for the new Memory Box Foundation, being launched in March, which provides free memory boxes for children and young adults coping with bereavement.
Cash raised from the awards will also go to the Coventry foodbank.
Visit the website at ladiesfirstnetwork.co.uk/ for the full list of finalists.
