The West Women of the Year Awards 2019 acknowledged the contribution of female leaders and pioneers in the VCSE sector at last week’s ceremony.

Voscur’s CEO and a number of female leaders from member groups made the shortlist of 100 most inspiring women in the West and some were among the award winners on the night.

Nominees came from many different fields, including charity, business, education and sport, and we are pleased that the contribution of the VCSE sector was recognised within several categories.

We offer our heartfelt congratulations to Voscur Trustee, Suzanne Thompson who won the Lifetime Achievement Award for her work as founder and CEO of The Restore Trust, a social enterprise helping ex-offenders and those typically excluded from society. The organisation provides non-judgemental person-centred support so that local people with complex needs can achieve qualifications, obtain employment and reach personal goals. Congratulations also to another Voscur member, Sado Jirde from Black South West Network, who was named Most Inspiring Role Model, recognising her commitment to tackling racial inequalities both locally and nationally.

Voscur members in the list of the 100 most inspiring women included:

· Sandra Meadows, Chief Executive of Voscur

· Sandra Gordon, presenter at Ujima Radio

· Avril Marshall, co-founder of Vision BME

· Sado Jirde, Director of BSWN

Beyond Voscur members, the Most Inspiring Woman in the Charitable Sector award went to Hilary Rawles, from Gloucester-based charity The Suicide Crisis Centre. Nicola Halford, founder of the charity Time Is Precious, was declared Winner of Winners for her tireless fundraising to support brain tumour patients and their families in Bristol and Bath.

These annual awards are a great opportunity to fully recognise and value the outstanding contributions women make across all sectors in the South West and to inspire future generations with their success and achievements.