Last night I attended the Women in Business Awards at the Crowne Plaza Belfast as a finalist in the Advancing Diversity & Inclusion Champion category.

Being shortlisted alongside such inspiring women was an incredible honour and a moment I’m truly proud of. The Women in Business community has played a significant role in my professional journey over the past year, so to be recognised as a finalist meant a great deal.

The evening itself was a wonderful celebration of the impact women are making across business and leadership in Northern Ireland.

Hosted by the brilliant Pamela Ballantine, the event also featured inspiring contributions from Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and Victoria Dean, Head of Delivery Performance at Virgin Media, who each spoke about leadership, progress and continuing to create opportunities for women in the workplace.

An Evening of Conversations and Connection

I attended the awards with my partner Phill, and as soon as we arrived we found ourselves chatting to Caroline from the Digg Podcast, where we spoke about the importance of men supporting women in business and leadership.

Creating more inclusive workplaces is not something women can do alone. Real progress requires support, understanding and allyship from colleagues, partners and leaders.

One of the highlights of the evening was sharing a table with fellow finalists Abigail Duffy and Jude Cameron. Congratulations to Abigail on being named Young Business Woman of the Year.

And congratulations also to Diane Davis, the very deserving winner of the Advancing Diversity & Inclusion Champion award.

It was a fantastic evening celebrating women who are creating meaningful change across a wide range of industries.

The Work That Inspired My Nomination

My nomination recognised the work I have been doing to support breastfeeding parents and advocate for more inclusive workplaces through The Nourish Consultancy.

Through Nourish, I work with organisations to help them better support employees who are returning to work after having a baby – particularly those who wish to continue breastfeeding.

This is an area of workplace inclusion that is still often overlooked.

Many organisations are becoming increasingly aware of how to support employees during pregnancy and maternity leave. However, the transition back to work can still present significant challenges for new parents.

Grateful for the Support

I’m incredibly grateful to Women in Business for the support they have shown me over the past year.

Through the Explore It Programme, speaking opportunities and events, they create space for women to connect, grow and share ideas.

Being recognised as a finalist was a real honour and a reminder that conversations about supporting working mothers and building inclusive workplaces are becoming more visible and more important.

While I didn’t win the category this time, the experience was still incredibly special.

And it only strengthens my commitment to continue the work through The Nourish Consultancy – helping organisations create workplaces where parents feel supported to thrive both professionally and personally.

Onwards and upwards.