NEWS
LEADING KENT BUSINESS WOMEN FROM ACROSS THE COUNTY
RECOGNISED AT GLITTERING AWARDS CEREMONY
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LEADING KENT BUSINESS WOMEN
Now in its third year, and with a record number
of entries, the Kent Women in Business Awards
ceremony took place this March and the standard
of entrants was the highest yet.
Over 200 people attended the glittering black tie
awards ceremony sponsored by Lipscomb
Cars at the Great Danes Hotel in Maidstone to
compete and celebrate with the cream of the
crop of Kent’s business women.
Eleven awards were up for grabs, from Business
Woman of the Year – over three years’ experience
(won by Rebecca Riches, The Hub); to Start Up
Business of the Year (Dr Sophie Schotter,
Illuminate Skin Clinics Ltd); Professional
Achievement of the Year (Sarah Poole,
Westenhanger Castle); and Mumpreneur of the
Year (Jane Bevan, Primrose Fayre Catering).
Hilary Steel, founder of the Kent Women in
Business Awards, commented: “We were
delighted at the number of nominations we
received this year, a significant increase on last
year. The judges were also incredibly impressed
by the standard of entries, which is why we had
eight finalists in most categories. It really was too
close to call!
“We have so many amazing business women in
such a wide ranging number of industry sectors
in the county, and their achievements and
successes should absolutely be applauded. The
Kent Women in Business Awards is going from
strength to strength, and we’ve seen many
women who are inspired by previous winners
that have gone on to win their own awards, which
we want to encourage more of for next year.”
For more information about the awards, photos
from the evening, and a full list of all winners,
visit www.kwibawards.co.uk.
KENTISH HORTICULTURE GOING FOR GOLD
AT BIGGEST FLOWER SHOW IN THE WORLD
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2015 promises
to be a special event for Kentish horticulture with
a plethora of exhibitors from the county going
for gold.
Jo Thompson / M&G
Kent-based designer, Jo Thompson, has been
charged with designing the main sponsor’s
garden this year. The M&G garden will feature
a two-storey oak-framed building inspired by the
garden retreats of, amongst others, Vita SackvilleWest (Sissinghurst).
The design features a large natural swimming
pond edged with water-loving plants, a woodland
of river birches and acers, and a garden with
tumbling roses and peonies in a palette of greens,
punctuated by soft pinks, lavender blues and
creams, with a touch of orange.
displays. The Pavilion will have a strong Kentish
flavour.
William Dyson, the curator at Great Comp Garden
in Sevenoaks, will be taking his salvia collection
for the first time in many years and will be
displaying his impressive specimens including
Dyson’s Joy. He will also be launching a new
Salvia called Loves and Wishes, the third in the
‘wish series’, which includes Wendy’s Wish and
Ember’s Wish. William told insideKENT: “We
hope that Love and Wishes will be the best of
wishes for us this year at Chelsea.”
Jo told insideKENT: “I have always loved the
sense of atmosphere in the garden retreats used
by writers such as Virginia Woolf, Charles Darwin,
George Bernard Shaw, Roald Dahl and Rudyard
Kipling; it’s a very unique heritage.”
The grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea will
be transformed for the biggest flower show of
the year and will be home to vibrant horticultural
William Dyson
Other Kent exhibitors will include Simon
Charlesworth of Downderry lavender; Paul Harris
of Ashford Brookfield plants (hostas); and the
Kent contingent of Hardy Plants Society, which
will be taking its exhibit, Over the Garden Gate,
with the stand run by Great Comp Garden
chairman, Colin Moat. Palmstead Nurseries from
Wye, in Ashford, is helping to provide perennials
and grasses for Bowles & Wyre, which is
constructing the stand for Gaze Burvill this year.
We hope to share some Kentish gold-winning
stories from the show in our June issue! Watch
this space.
Salvia
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