Celebrating our remarkable women
GALA EVENT CELEBRATES INSPIRING, TALENTED ACHIEVERS
THEY are the cream of our crop and these remarkable women from the North East have been recognised for their dedication and sheer determination to make a difference.
The annual Glass Slipper Awards pay tribute to women across the region who are inspirational in what they do. And in a glittering award ceremony at the Hilton NewcastleGateshead they were given the recognition they deserved.
Held by the Sunshine Fund, the awards are given in seven categories including Woman of the Year, Young Achiever and Outstanding Business Leader.
The nominations came rolling in and we can now reveal our winners.
And among them is Gemma Lowery who lost her son Bradley to neuroblastoma in 2017 and went on to create the Bradley Lowery Foundation.
The thousands raised for the tragic six-year-old’s treatment will now go towards helping other children with similar illnesses.
Gemma scooped the Remarkable Woman category, sponsored by Northern Railway, for her work with the foundation.
This year, the Woman in the Community award was voted for by you at home. And this award, sponsored by Reach, was won by Louise from Oasis Community Housing.
The award honours an individual who is dedicated to making a real difference to people’s lives through their career, benefitting the lives of people in North East communities.
Louise uses her own experiences to help while volunteering with a domestic violence group and working with people struggling with homelessness.
She now works alongside professionals, does public speaking and leads group work becoming a role model for other women.
Sunshine Fund director, Siobhan Sargeant, said: “Here at The Chronicle Sunshine Fund we have been overwhelmed with the calibre of nominations for awards this year.
“It’s been really humbling for us to hear of all of the valuable work happening right here in our North East and it certainly makes us feel proud and honoured to be able to champion this work.
“This is a really special year for the Glass Slipper Awards with the introduction of a brand new category, Woman in The Community and for the first time Chronicle readers have been able to shape the outcome of one of our awards by voting for their winner.
“Again, the response was overwhelming and we would like to thank readers who took part.
“I’d really like to thank all of the category sponsors including Northern Rail, Lowes, Reach, the University of Sunderland, Newcastle College and the Hilton, and of course our headline sponsor North.”
Kim Rogerson senior executive (Communications) at North, said: “Congratulations to all of the worthy winners and those who were shortlisted in their categories – you are all truly inspirational ladies and champions of the North East.”
Other winners are:
North East Champion, sponsored by University of Sunderland
Winner: Helen Golightly, CEO of the North East LEP and North East Combined Authority, playing a key role in supporting growth in the economy and bring better jobs to the region.
The award recognises and celebrates the achievements of a talented individual who does genuinely inspiring things in the North East through their job role.
Outstanding Business Leader, sponsored by Hilton
Winner: Yvonne Ormston, North East Ambulance NHS Trust.
Leading the trust through a period of great change, with a workforce of 2,600 staff. They’re now the best Stonewall employer in the Health Service nationally and also the national lead for Workforce Race Equality.
The award recognises and celebrates the achievements of a great leader who inspires their workforce. Having made an exceptional contribution and made a significant impact in their organisation, going