press release article

Project Director, Dinah Bennett, Founder Director of Durham based Women Into the Network (WIN) has been recognised as providing an outstanding contribution to women’s enterprise development by PROWESS, the national women’s enterprise support trade association.

The PROWESS Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Women’s Enterprise Development in the UK were developed to recognise the contributions of both individuals and organisations to developing and innovating in the women’s enterprise support sector.

Four awards were presented at the Prowess 2nd International Conference in Nottingham on 11th November, including Innovator Award, Business Link Award, Business Support Professional of the Year, and Outstanding Contribution to Women’s Enterprise Development.

Further good news is that Sandy Richardson of Tees Valley Business Link, who set up WIN in Teesside, won the Business Support Professional of the Year' award so two out of the four awards coming to the North East.

At the conference both Jacqui Smith, Deputy Minister for Women and Rebecca Harding of London Business School, and Director of the UK Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report, highlighted the fact that the North East is showing one of the greatest rises in numbers of women starting businesses in the UK as a direct result of all the activity going on up here.

Dinah, who has spent many years working in the field of entrepreneurship and women's enterprise development and is the driving force behind Women Into the Network, said 'I think the fact the GEM report has said that there is a link between activity here promoting women’s enterprise development and the increase in numbers of women starting businesses speaks volumes and it seems fitting that of the awards presented two were won by people from this region. I was shocked to hear that I had been nominated – let alone to hear that I had won! I am really very pleased that my colleague from Tees Valley won an award at the same ceremony. Sandy Richardson from Tees Valley Business Link has been working tirelessly to support women from all sectors and communities in Tees valley into business and she is a real credit to the UK business Link network’.

Dinah is committed to change the business landscape in the region. She formulated a strategy to tackle the issues from every angle and founded Women Into the Network (WIN). Through creating a forum where women come together, she has helped provide support, raise confidence and tackle major issues. She 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. Dinah now disseminates this winning model all over the world.