This year’s EVA awards ceremony to celebrate the achievements of women in business was the biggest yet

Twelve businesswomen were thrilled to have put Lancashire and the Lake District on the map after scooping top prizes at a highly prestigious awards ceremony.

They fought off intense competition from successful entrepreneurs across the north west to scoop EVAs. The awards were for training and coaching, customer service, solo businesses, retailing, outstanding achievement, the beauty industry, new businesses, small businesses, financial services, professional services and hospitality.

Thunderous applause greeted the winners as they went on stage. Coral Horn, organiser of the event and founder of networking group, Pink Link Ladies, said: ‘What a fitting end to another fantastic awards ceremony.

‘We were delighted to see the awards back in its rightful home of the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool although the applause and cheering nearly brought the roof down! It is a truly, magical setting for what is probably the largest awards ceremony dedicated to female entrepreneurs outside London.’

The EVAs are a spectacular event full of glamour and glitz. ‘We definitely had more sequins on the night than Strictly!’ added Coral. ‘Our eighth year was simply superb, we had thousands of entrants and I’d say that this year was perhaps the most fiercely contested yet.’

The EVA’s Charity of the Year was the Pankhurst Trust, a small organisation in Manchester playing a huge role in history as the home of Emmeline Pankhurst and birthplace of the Suffragette Movement. Richard Lefton, from Lefton’s Group, who sponsored the professional services category, said: ‘It felt particularly fitting that we raise money for this charity; without them, the role of women in business may have been very different today.’

There were more than 550 guests attending this year’s ceremony, which gets bigger every year.

For the sixth year running NatWest supported the awards as the headline sponsor.

Roll of honour

The winners were:

Wendy Jackson, of Fylde Tuition Centre,

Beverley Davis of The Ivory Dressing Room,

Amanda Munden of Moo Stylist,

Elizabeth Manford of The Wax House Candle Company,

Jane Hugo of Streetlife, Rebecca Stott, of Temple Beauty Clinic,

Amanda Stewart, of My Baby Scan,

Amy Onyango and Claire Mansfield, of Felltarn Friends, Kendal,

Samantha Gargett, of Elton Business Ltd, Penrith,

Alison Magee-Barker of AJ Lakes Consultancy, Windermere

Jules Natlacen of The Churchmouse at Barbon.