Do you know an inspirational woman?
Community, safety and emergencies22 December 2021

Members of the public are being asked to get their thinking caps on over the holiday period as nominations open on Tuesday, 4 January for the 2022 West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) Inspirational Women Awards.
The Women’s Forum at WNC is calling upon residents, businesses, schools, and community groups to nominate women in their lives who inspire them.
Now in their 10th year the awards publicly recognise and promote those women who inspire and have a real impact on the lives of others.
There are two categories for the 2022 awards:
- Business Award
- Community Award
Potential nominees for the Business Award could include someone who has inspired through their paid employment, an inspirational business owner or someone who has inspired you in your career.
For the Community Award it could be a family member who has been a rock during this challenging year, a neighbour who has set up a community group to support local children and families, a friend who has campaigned for better healthcare, or a colleague who fundraises for charity.
Last year’s winners, Dolores Sanders (Business) and Theresa McCarthy-Dixon (Community) have been invited to join the judging panel for 2022.
Cllr David Smith, WNC's Cabinet Member for community safety and engagement, and regulatory services, said: "These awards are hugely important as they allow us to acknowledge the important role played by women in our local community and to thank them for the excellent work they are doing in making a real difference to the lives of many."
Nominations open on 4 January 2022 and close 26 January 2022. The shortlisted finalists will be announced on 18 February 2022.
The awards will be presented at a ceremony to mark International Women’s Day (IWD) on Saturday, 5 March 2022.
The theme for IWD 2022 is #BreakTheBias. Cllr Smith went onto say: “International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
"The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity with activities taking place across the world as groups come together to celebrate women's achievements and rally for women's equality."
Further details will of the awards ceremony will be announced nearer the time. The online nomination form will be live from 4 January.