Inspirational Women’s Award 2023 shortlist announced

20 February 2023

The Inspirational Women’s Award judges have shortlisted seven women for the two categories, Community and Business, out of a record-breaking 70+ nominations.

This year there will also be a Special Recognition Award which is sponsored by our new Highways partner Kier.
The winners will be announced at the International Women’s Day event, taking place at the Guildhall, St Giles Square, Northampton on Saturday, 4 March from 11am to 3pm.

This year’s event is set to be West Northants’ biggest yet with over 30 stalls, a variety of performances, workshops, and more.

The awards, organised by the Women’s Forum at West Northamptonshire Council (WNC), aim to publicly recognise and promote those women who inspire and have a real impact on the lives of others in the community or the workplace.

Community award shortlist

Sally Jordan
Sally has chaired the Ecton Brook Residents Group for several years. She cares greatly about her local community and inspires others to feel the same. She organises and takes part in many community initiatives including litter-picking and Christmas carol singing and opens up her home to others for coffee mornings and committee meetings. Sally also maintains the Community Garden on Ecton Brook Road and plans games and activities for children during holiday periods.

Penny Embden
Penny works as a Youth Coordinator for South Northants Youth Engagement (SNYE). She joined the charity two years ago to help improve and deliver youth provision in South Northants and has shown great dedication despite meeting obstacles and setbacks along the way. She has worked hard over the past year to help create volunteering opportunities for local residents to support young people in their community and has been described as a role model for the young people and volunteers alike.

Miranda Wixon
Miranda is involved in several charities both nationally and across Northamptonshire. She has helped to establish a network of Community Food Larders which aim to provide affordable food to those in need as well as reduce food waste in local communities. Miranda delivered food to the elderly and families during the pandemic and has inspired many others to volunteer. She is currently working with the Hope Centre to develop and expand the Community Larder Scheme across the county. 

Julie Bainbridge
Julie has dedicated the last 10 years of her life to the charity Baby Basics Northampton which helps to support new mothers and families who are struggling to meet the financial and practical burden of looking after a new baby. The charity has supported over 2000 families to date as well as providing support to NHS midwives and health visitors. Julie also organises monthly litter picks in the community and has set up an environmental conservation organisation to raise awareness around littering and recycling.

Business award shortlist

Becky Bradshaw
Becky has worked in the higher education sector for over 20 years and has progressed through a number of roles, developing her professional discipline in health, safety and risk management. Becky represents the University on several regeneration boards, is the current Secretary of the Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE), an Independent Governor at Northampton College, and has recently joined The Core at the Corby Cube as a trustee. She has been described as inspirational in many ways.

Lynn Hinch
Lynn, alongside husband Nigel, set up ABILITY Community Transport in 2018, a not-for-profit community interest company with the primary goal of reducing social isolation and loneliness. Since it first started, ABILITY has expanded enormously and now has hundreds of members, helping local communities stay connected and improving people’s mental and physical wellbeing. It has been described as a social club on wheels and a lifeline and friend to many people within the community.

Joey Woodage
Joey and her team of female practitioners work exceptionally hard to support women who have experienced, or who are at risk of, repeated pregnancies that result in children needing to be removed from their care, helping them to overcome challenges and build a better future. They work creatively to support women with very complex lives in a very caring and respectful way. Joey and her team are all inspirational women and receive lots of positive feedback from the women they work with.