On Friday 30th October, I stood at the front of the room at Winstanley House in Leicester and looked out at faces I have known for ten years, sitting alongside faces I was meeting for the very first time. In that one moment was everything The Women’s Awards has ever been about: bringing women together, seeing them, and celebrating what they give to our communities, our workplaces and one another.
Ten years ago, The Women’s Awards began with a simple belief: that too many women were doing extraordinary work without ever being recognised for it. Since then we have received more than 1,000 nominations, and this year alone 245 women were put forward by people who wanted the world to know what they had achieved. Every one of those nominations is a story, and every one of them matters.
A different kind of celebration
For our tenth anniversary, we did something new. We brought our conference and awards together in a single daytime event, under the theme “A Decade of Impact. A Future of Possibility.” It was a day for listening and learning as much as for celebrating, and I am so grateful to everyone who embraced the change with us.
We were honoured to open the day with a welcome from Mrs Eileen Perry MBE DL, representing the Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire Mr Mike Kapur OBE.
From insightful and inspiring panel discussions to the powerful personal stories of Rebecca Jenkins, Manjit Atwal QPM, Aaliyah Towers, David Hayes, Debbie Hayes (née Moore) and Naz Williams, the room was filled with honesty, courage and generosity. Thank you to Leanne Bonner-Cooke MBE for chairing our panel with such care.
We were also privileged to hear from the incredible Maggie Oliver, who shared her story of challenging Greater Manchester Police and fighting for justice for young women who had been abused in care homes. Her courage in speaking out, at great personal cost, is a reminder of what one determined woman can change.
Our compère, Rupal Rajani, was absolutely excellent, guiding us through the day with warmth, energy and grace who has been with us since we started.
Welcoming our new Patron
One of the most special moments of the day was the official handover from Carol Leeming MBE FRSA, our Patron from 2019 to 2024 and now our Emeritus Patron, to our new Patron, Paulette Simpson CBE. Carol has championed The Women’s Awards with passion and wisdom, and I am deeply grateful for everything she has given us. We are thrilled to welcome Paulette as we step into our next decade together.
Celebrating our winners and nominees
Most importantly, we celebrated the achievements, successes and contributions of some truly remarkable women from across the Midlands and beyond. The awards presentation was, as it is every year, the emotional heart of the day.
To every winner: congratulations. Your achievements are an inspiration, and you thoroughly deserve this recognition. A special mention, and big congratulations, to our double award winners, Lianne Kirkman and Dilys Sillah. To every shortlisted nominee: please know that being shortlisted is an achievement in itself. You were chosen from an exceptional field, and you are every bit a part of this celebration.
You can see the full list of this year’s winners here: Celebrating our 2026 Winners – A Decade of Impact.
Thank you
None of this happens alone. Thank you to this year’s Headline Sponsors, David Hayes Export Controls and Debbie Moore Coaching, along with our Category Sponsors, Asfar Williams, Creative Directions, LBC Mentoring, and those who have sponsored and partnered with us over the years, whose support makes the awards possible; to our judges, who gave their time and care to some very difficult decisions; to our volunteers and the team at Winstanley House; and to everyone who nominated, attended, shared and cheered. You have carried The Women’s Awards through its first decade.
The next ten years
As proud as I am of what we have built together, I am even more excited about what comes next. There are still too many women whose contributions go unseen, and there is still work to do in closing the gaps in gender and inclusion that brought us together in the first place. Through The Women’s Awards and our SHINE community at Shine Together CIC, we will keep creating spaces where women are recognised, connected and supported to thrive.
Here’s to a decade of impact, and to a future of possibility.
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