The winner of the Bristol ‘Brave and Beautiful’ Awards has been announced!
The awards were created because I know how amazing women can be, but what is even more amazing is that many don’t recognise it. Studies show that women are more likely to doubt themselves and hold back from living to their full life potential as a result, yet we all have something of courage and beauty about us - and luckily I get to work with such women every day. I really hoped that the awards would get all women thinking about their true worth and value, and about the worth and value of those women around us.
The awards were run in collaboration with Jan Shankar, Founder of Amia Online, and were opened to all women in the Bristol area on 2nd February, an international day of courage in memory of Rosa Parks. Nominations came pouring in for mothers, sisters, daughters, wives, friends, colleagues, business owners, a whole female-based community group even got nominated. Every single nomination was as inspiring and special as the last for their own reasons, and everyone deserved the recognition.
The five finalists were Nikki Carter, Jane Duffus, Helen Sanders, Lucy Ball and Kassi-Jayne Marshall – all demonstrated an overwhelming sense of focus, positivity and resilience in challenging times, and all have made a massive impact on other people’s lives in a variety of amazing ways.
Today, on International Women’s Day, I am pleased to announce the overall winner of the gift prizes to be Helen Sanders. Helen has been tirelessly working to raise money for Clic Sargent, a Bristol charity caring for children with cancer and supporting affected families. Her own son was diagnosed at age three; he is now ten and doing well, but Helen continues to turn the negative into a positive and uses her experience to give back to society and inspire others around her.
The impartial judges supporting the awards, Karen Bass, Bristol based award winning Film Maker, Louise Harrison, Founder of dairy-free chocolate brand Cocoa Libre, and Amanda Kerin, Founder and Event Manager at AJK Events and Inspiring Women LIVE, agreed that the decision was tough as all were deserving, but the eventual vote was unanimous saying that Helen was a down to earth woman whose story was both moving and inspiring.
So sit back this Sunday morning, take some me time out and have a read of all five finalist's brave and beautiful and heart-warming stories...
Helen’s story
Lucy’s story
Kassi’s story
Jane’s story
Nikki’s story
Remember...
Be brave, be beautiful!