Rebecca Blachford, Nikki Collinson-Phenix, Kathryn Clarke, Lindsay Mattinson and Claire Rees have all taken home awards from this year’s National Venus Awards finals.
The Venus awards, known by the organisation as ‘the working women’s Oscars’, were formed in 2009 to recognise, reward and celebrate local working women in business. The regional awards for the Isle of Wight took place in March.
Rebecca Blachford, won the Customer Service award for her businesses Bebeccino. The Newport-based business is the Island’s first children’s cafe. It provides a child-friendly menu, a range of classes, support groups and activities for parents and children.
Nikki Collinson-Phenix won the Influential woman of the year. Nikki runs a human and animal chiropractic business and runs a charitable organisation in Uganda which helps women start up their own businesses.
Meanwhile Kathryn Clarke won Inspirational Woman of the Year. Kathryn was involved in a serious road traffic accident back in 2011 which caused ‘non-life sustainable’ brain and neck injuries. It was this that led to the setup of the Kathryn Clarke Foundation. It raises awareness and creates funds for herself and others who are going, or have been through, a similar situation.
Lindsay Mattinson of Mattinson Associates Limited won Home Based Business of the Year. Lindsay setup an award-winning architectural practice that designs functional spaces to live/work/play in.
Claire Rees won Businesses Mother of the Year award. As well as being a single parent to two children, Claire set up her own business Rhythm Time which provides interactive music sessions for 0-6 year-old’s. Overcoming many obsticals on the way the business is now flourishing helping Island babies and children find their feet, grow in confidence and learn to help one another as a team.
A spokesperson from the Venus Awards said:
“Women play such a pivotal role in our local economies, it is crucial that hard-working business women have the spotlight shone upon them.
“As the Venus phenomenon rolls on across the country, more women in business will stand up and let the world know what they do, how they do it, and the challenges they face. This typically leads to more women helping each other through mentoring, networking and plain old ‘doing business’ together.
“Raising awareness of the successful women in our midst and publicly acknowledging them underlines the economic force women have become.”
