It’s been just over a week now since the superb evening we spent at Kent Women in Business Awards, a beautiful 3-course meal in the magnificent surroundings of the Mercure Great Danes Hotel Maidstone, amongst the most fabulous and inspirational women in Kent.

Just being there and just being a finalist was, as I have said before, an absolute honour, to get to even just be in the same room as these women, let alone meet some of them was a true acclamation.

The Start-Up of the year award, one of the ones I was a finalist for was the first award to be announced, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that my name would be called as the winner! I went up on the stage to collect my award and make a speech in front of this phenomenal crowd of about 200 people, I couldn’t begin to tell you what I said, I can guarantee I didn’t thank everyone I should have done, and it was nothing to write home about.

What I should have done is say a great big Thank you to everyone involved in Educational Life CIC. We have achieved so much in our first year, but I couldn’t have done it without the team around me, from my husband and my children to my parents, sister and friends, their love and support has made it possible. But most of all though this award isn’t for me, it’s for the wonderful team of people I work with at Educational Life, without them we wouldn’t be where we are today, making the impact and difference we are, I am eternally grateful to them all for all they do.

Then, of course, there is you, the community, thank you to all of you, all the wonderful people who send us news, articles and stories, all the schools that share their positive news with us and allow us to visit and report on their events. All the fabulous guest writers who take their time to share their expertise with us and our readers. All the community groups who allow us to work with them and share with us. All our partners who support us and help us to do what we do. All the places that allow us to distribute our magazine through them.

Thank you to you, our readers, subscribers, followers, thank you for taking the time to read what we do, to comment and share our posts and for your ongoing positive reviews, it is you that keeps us going.

Finally, Thank you to the Kent Women in Business Awards for this wonderful accolade, it still hasn’t quite sunk in and I am truly humbled to be amongst the winners! These fabulous women at Kent Women in Business Awards also raised £2,500 for Breast Cancer Kent, how absolutely amazing is that!

Gosh, that is quite a speech, good job I didn’t say it on the night, I would have been hurried off the stage.

I will leave you with this…

Thank you, Educational Life CIC is now an award-winning Company!

By Claire