This year’s Woman Who Achieves Awards was a very special one for Louise Welsby – the newly appointed chair of The Giftware Association’s National Committee, and managing director of Buy-From Creative Agency – and Meg Hawkins, the acclaimed giftware and homeware designer and water colour artist.
Not only have the two women been friends for over 30 years, but both won Awards in their respective categories – Louise for Marketing and Meg for Business Growth – giving them the added bonus of being able to celebrate their achievements together.
Louise, who entered for the first time, commented: “I feel both humbled and honoured to have won the Woman Who Achieves in Marketing Award. To be surrounded by so many truly inspirational women – and men – was incredible. Founder Sandra Garlick and her team have created something special, and to be recognised as a category winner, among so many incredible businesswomen, is amazing.”
The judges said that Louise had not only built a marketing agency but built a community around what she is passionate about. “Working with SMEs and makers she has developed an approach to support, teach and nurture creative businesses to fly. Her passion to do good and support and develop her teamshines through in everything she does and every aspect of her business.”
Meg Hawkins runs Meg Hawkins Art, designing and producing high quality home and giftware featuring her artwork. In the past 12 months, her business has gone from strength to strength, with her incredible growth recognised by the team of judges who announced her as the worthy winner of the Woman Who Achieves in Business Growth category.
Commented Meg: “I am truly thankful to the judges for allowing me the time to reflect on what we, as a family business, have achieved in the past few years. I feel so honoured to have won this award in what was such an impressive category of inspirational businesswomen.”
The judges said that Meg’s was a business that has come on leaps and bounds, “with a beautiful array of creative designs that are finding markets across the world, a licensing-led model allowing great scalability and future growth.”
Woman Who Achieves Awards founder, Sandra Garlick MBE, said: “Each year I ask myself how I can surpass the previous year’s Awards. This is the seventh year I’ve run the Woman Who Achieves Awards, and the calibre and number of entries increases each year.”
She continued: “I love to create role models to inspire others. The room was filled with finalists, entrants and those who came along to support them. The winners became role models. Everyone left inspired. Congratulations to everyone who entered.”
The Awards were presented on 1 July, with over 300 attendees enjoying an afternoon of inspiration, celebration, and networking in the marquee at Coombe Abbey Hotel in Coventry.
The Awards encourage women to recognise their achievements, celebrate their successes and inspire others by becoming role models.
Louise Welsby | Buy-From Creative Agency | www.buy-from.com
Meg Hawkins | Meg Hawkins Ltd | www.meghawkins.com
Woman Who Awards | www.womanwho.co.uk/woman-who-achieves-awards/2022-finalists-winners/
Top: Delighted smiles from Louise Welsby and Meg Hawkins who both won their categories at the Woman Who Awards.
