SHE inspiring women awards 2009

Get involved in the 2009 Inspiring Women Awards - and read some inspiring stories

  Sue TomlinsonSHE magazine is looking for amazing women who really stand out from the crowd - from charity workers and campaigning mothers to world record breakers - and we're asking you to nominate them!

We've had a great response to our Inspiring Women Awards nominations but we still need more nominees. If you know a woman whose achievements deserve recognition, email shefeatures@natmags.co.uk or write to Inspiring Women Awards, SHE magazine, 72 Broadwick Street, London, W1F 9EP, including:

 

*The name of the person you'd like to nominate

*Your reasons for nominating her, in 500 words or less

*A photograph of her

*Your own name, address and contact details, including daytime telephone number

 

What happens next

 

Over the next few months, our panel of highly respected judges will help us chose the winners. There are seven categories in all; the champion, the humanitarian, the businesswoman, the survivor, the public face, the innovator/ pioneer and the readers award - the juggler of the year - who will be chosen by you. See full category details below.

 

The winners of each category will be invited to a celebratory lunch in Claridges, London, next May, hosted by SHE's Editor Sian Rees and attended by special guests and celebrities.

 

Do you know someone suitable? Here are a few examples of the sort of women we're looking for, whose inspiring stories have featured in SHE over the past two years...

 

Sue Tomlinson

Sue Tomlinson, 58, set up the Newark and Notts Child Bereavement and Loss Centre (Sue's Place) in 2002 after she witnessed a 32-year mother dying of cancer at the hospice where she worked as care manager.

 

"We had got to know her two little boys and I wanted to make sure that they were looked after," she explains.

 

Sue's Place is one of only a handful of services nationwide that exists to help children and families deal with feelings of loss and grief. The project initially began within the hospice, but demand was so great that Sue was granted £500,000 by the National Lottery (lotterygoodcauses.org.uk) to set up the service independently on new premises and employ full-time staff. There are now over 100 children aged between three to 18 using the service.

 

Sue's achievements in the past two years have been recognised by hundreds of children and her long-term goal, and dream, is to open a purpose built drop-in centre. "That's all I long for, and with a little luck, we'll get there."

 

Lottery players raise £25 million a week for Good Causes. Since 1994 The National Lottery has invested over £1 billion into projects that support people's health and wellbeing across all its funding areas. Visit lotterygoodcauses.org.uk for more information.

 

Louise Ward

Louise Ward, 41, from Torquay Devon is a champion juggler. She has six children, aged between 16 and three, runs her own hair salon and is renovating a restaurant with her husband Patrick, 40. And somehow manages to find time to squeeze in preparing packed lunches and the school run.

"You have to be prepared to compromise and make sacrifices as a working mother and yes there are moments when I feel guilty. But, by the time I walk through the front door at the end of the day, one cuddle and all the stress melts away."

 

Jasvinder Sanghera

Jasvinder Sanghera, 42, founded the helpline Karma Nirvana 14 years ago, after her elder sister Robina killed herself to escape an abusive marriage. Forced to flee her family to escape a similar fate, Jasvinder set up the helpline which now receives 200 calls a months from young women and men, desperate for help to escape violent families who will stop at nothing to protect their honour. Jasvinder wrote about her experiences in her book 'Shame', which was instrumental in getting the Forced Marriage (civil protection) Act passed in November 2008.

Karma Nivana's helpline is 01332 604098

 

Rebecca Hudson-Gray

Rebecca Hudson-Gray, 37, showed tremendous bravery when she saved the life of her best friend's daughter, Georgia, during a boating accident in 2002. The two families were staying in the Maldives following Rebecca's wedding and decided to take a dolphin-spotting cruise. When one of the boats was overturned by 15-foot wave Rebecca's only thought was for Georgia and she clung tightly to the child as she was churned underwater and tossed onto the coral reef.

 

Wendy Gough

Wendy Gough, 58, from Hertfordshire was just a normal mother 10 years ago, when her 18-year-old son Matthew strode into the kitchen and announced that he had a lump in his testicle. Embarrassed and ignorant of the signs of testicular cancer he waited six fatal weeks to seek help. Since his death Wendy has worked full time as a campaigner for Everyman and has taught more than 80,000 teenage boys how to check their testicles. "If I can educate just one boy in time, it's all worth it", says Wendy.

 

Inspiring Women categories

 

The Innovator/ Pioneer: a woman who has had a groundbreaking impact on medical science or social development.

This year's winner, Araxi Urrutia, has made a huge contribution in the male-dominated field of evolutionary human genomics, which is vital to the understanding of genetic diseases.

To find out more, cick here.

 

The Humanitarian: a woman who has shown unparalleled levels of selflessness and humanity to alleviate the suffering, or contribute to the wellbeing, of others.

The winner in 2008 was Pam French, who has fostered more than 650 children over the past 14 years.

To find out more, click here.

 

The Businesswoman: a woman who has demonstrated unprecedented entrepreneurial spirit in her bid to achieve success in business or industry.

This year's winner Penny Ferguson at 50, following the collapse of her marriage and with five children, launched a personal development programme that now has a turnover of £1.6million.

To find out more, click here.

 

The Survivor: a woman who has triumphed in the face of extreme adversity.

This year's winner, Shy Keenan, was sexually abused from the age of four. After bravely testifying against her abuser at 38, she has gone on to campaign for justice for the victims of child sex abuse.

To find out more, click here.

 

The Champion: a woman who has pushed herself to physical extremes in order to achieve success in sport, exploration and/or adventure.

This year's winner was Dee Caffari, the first woman to sail single-handedly around the world the ‘wrong way'.

To find out more, click here.

 

The Public Face: a new category for a woman in the public eye who has made a great contribution to society.

 

The Juggler of the Year: another new category, for a woman who meets challenges, successfully balancing work, family, friends and a full diary.

 

So get your nominations in now - email the details to shefeatures@natmags.co.uk or write to Inspiring Women Awards, SHE magazine, 72 Broadwick Street, London, W1F 9E