News

Women Into the Network scoop another national award

(9 June 2006)

North East based networking initiative, Women Into the Network (WIN) & founder Dinah Bennett, were presented with the Corporate Award at the CBI First Women Awards gala ceremony held at London’s Hilton Park Lane last night.

The evening saw the UK's most pioneering businesswomen recognised for their achievements and for the contribution they have made to the broadening of women's opportunities in the world of business. Ten awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award were presented by high profile guests such as Sir David Frost and Sarah Brown, wife of the Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown. The First Women Corporate Award recognises one organisation that is deemed to have made an extraordinary contribution to women’s role in the workforce and, by extension, is helping to boost the performance of the UK economy. Women Into the Network were put forward for this prestigious award and supported in this nomination by the judging panel, CBI and Real Business. Diana Brightmore-Armour, Managing Director of Lloyds TSB Corporate Banking praised the work of Women Into the Network before presenting the award to Dinah Bennett and Lisa Vickers, saying: “At heart, Women Into the Network is a networking organisation. But such a description dramatically underplays its impact. Indeed, increases in women’s business start-up levels in the North East of England are directly attributable to the support, encouragement and practical help afforded by this Durham University initiative - several of our candidates for this year’s First Women Awards highlighted their contribution. This wonderful organisation, in its corner of the United Kingdom, has made a genuine, tangible, measurable difference to women’s prospects in business – and is a truly worthy winner of the First Women Corporate Award”. Women Into the Network (WIN) was founded in 1999. Through creating a forum where women come together, WIN has helped provide support, raise confidence and tackle major issues. WIN has worked alongside banks and other support organisations to help them understand the barriers that women face, has championed role models and given a voice to women entrepreneurs in the region. The success of Women Into the Network has been recognised by the European Commission when they selected it as the UK best practice initiative for supporting female entrepreneurship – a winning model which is now disseminated all over the world.