Sunderland Echo

Award-winning business woman Fiona gets on board

- Chris Cordner chris.cordner@jpimedia.co.uk @CCordnerjp­i

An award-winning entreprene­ur is delighted to be on board as the backer of a prestigiou­s business competitio­n.

Fiona Simpson, the founder of Sunderland-based ART venturers, told how she was ‘thrilled’ to be supporting this year’ s Portfolio Awards search to find the cream of Wearside and County Durham industry.

This year's competitio­n is the first to be held since the pandemic struck and will be back with a ceremony on November 4, at the Stadium of Light.

Now in their 15th year, the Sunderland Echo is proud to present the Portfolio Business 2021 Awards which are a celebratio­n of excellence within the business sector.

Sunderland City Council is once again the headline sponsor and we are also delighted to welcome on board ARTventure­rs , Gentoo, the Autism Society, Station Taxis, Bradley Hall, South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, Thompson Waste Management, Sunderland College, University of Sunderland, NHS Sunderland Clinical Commission­ing Group, and the North East Business and Innovation Centre in Sunderland.

ARTventure­rs is a Sunderland based business which delivers colourful art classes, events and parties for babies, toddlers and children.

It does it through a network of franchise branches across the UK, including two in the city of Sunderland and several more in the NorthEast.

The company was founded in 2010 by local mum-oftwo Fiona Simpson, who was named Business Woman of the Year at the Wear side Women in Business Awards 2019.

ARTventure­rs is one of the sponsors of this year’s Portfolio awards, having previously been an award winner in 2017 when they were named Small Business of the Year.

Fi on a said :“We are thrilled to be supporting the 2021 Portfolio Awards as one of the ceremony sponsors,

"We have a fantastic and thriving business community here in the city and these awards area great opportunit­y for us all to come together and reflect on our achievemen­ts.

"And of course this year’s awards are particular­ly special, after a year when businesses have been impacted so much by the pandemic and have shown such creativity and resilience in the face of adversity. We can not wait to celebrate these amazing successes on the night.”

The competitio­n is now closed to entries.

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 ?? ?? Back to 2017 when ARTventure­rs won the Small Business of the Year competitio­n at the Portfolio Awards. Fiona Simpson is pictured, centre.
Back to 2017 when ARTventure­rs won the Small Business of the Year competitio­n at the Portfolio Awards. Fiona Simpson is pictured, centre.

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