ALTHOUGH it’s less than two months since the 2021 SheInspires Awards were held at the Bolton Whites Hotel 120 nominations from all over the world have already come in for the 2022 awards.

Last year’s awards – the first time some categories had been thrown open globally – attracted more than 2,000 nominations from countries from Denmark and Pakistan to South Africa and the USA as well as from all over the UK.

There were 145 finalists for the 18 categories making this the biggest  in the awards’ seven-year history. Hundreds attended the event which was also beamed around the world with international inter-action.

This year’s event promises to be bigger than ever. As Bolton-based organizer Gulnaz Brennan explained: “We had an amazing response last year and discovered a wealth of inspirational women - and men - whose achievements were so impressive.

“This year promises to even eclipse that, though, so I’m really looking forward to learning about these remarkable people.”

Stanmore Insurance, based in Little Lever, is the awards’ headline sponsor for the third year. Managing Director Jackie Hyde, herself a former SheInspires Award winner now a lead judge and ambassador, stated: “Awards are much more than just a trophy in a cabinet. They remind you that you’re doing a fantastic job!”

The 2021 winners included several from the Bolton area who found a very positive response to their awards’ win.

One of them, family wellness consultant Mandy Worsley who won the Health and Wellbeing Award, connected with a charity in America supporting women fleeing domestic abuse and shared her knowledge on a webinar in India.

Carole Swarbrick, winner of the local Lifetime Achievement Award and North-west Woman of the Year, stated:” Receiving the honour has raised my profile as someone who cares deeply about specific issues, not only in Bolton but across Greater Manchester and beyond.”

Nurten Akkus from Turkey won the Global Lifetime Achievement Award and was the first Turkish woman to win a SheInspires Award. She said: “This award made not only me but also the people of my country very happy.”

And Lisa Edge from the GB Shared platform, which boosts businesses including in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, commented about her national Agent of Change win: “We are already feeling the benefit on our brand, the exposure has been amazing.

“We highly recommend others to apply as these awards give such great recognition and exposure, winner or not.”