Tees Business Tees Business Issue 16 | Page 45

INSPIRING OTHERS Sponsored by SABIC WINNER: YASMIN KHAN Yasmin was glowing as she celebrated an award-winning double, adding the Inspiring Others prize to the Charity & Voluntary award which her charity The Halo Project won earlier in the night. Yasmin is founder and chief officer of Middlesbrough’s black, Asian and minority ethnic women-run charity, the Halo Project. She set up the pioneering community partnership in 2011 to help victims of illegal abuse including forced marriage and female genital mutilation under the name of the Halo Project, which became a registered charity three years later. Halo’s team of eight has helped more than 1,000 females flee violence with the help of partnerships Yasmin established. With little concern for personal risk, Yasmin speaks out against radical cultural mindsets, inspiring women to work with her and ‘break the silence’ so victims’ voices can be heard. “I just can’t believe it, I’m so overwhelmed,” said Yasmin after receiving her Inspiring Others award. “It has been fantastic to be at the awards among so many amazing women. “Inspiring others is what our charity is all about – giving victims of abuse a voice and giving them hope. “It’s not about the woman you are, it’s about the woman you can be, and this award is testament to that.” Yasmin Khan (right) was presented with the Inspiring Others award by Nicola Duffey of category sponsors SABIC. Julie Donaldson. Stacey Phoenix. RUNNER-UP: RUNNER-UP: Julie Donaldson Stacey Phoenix Julie is a self-employed radio presenter/ producer based in Middlesbrough and presents and produces the breakfast show on Zetland FM every weekday morning. In the last three years, she has produced 15 hours of live radio a week with limited resources and interviewed around 1,500 guests. Julie always aims to highlight the inspiring people who make Teesside tick, while acting as a stand-alone presenter in a format where women are often cast in the role of giggly sidekick. Her show has won a series of awards and she currently has 12 of the station’s 20 most listened-to programmes. An associate solicitor with Cygnet Law, Stacey has dedicated herself to helping others through her specialism in family law. The youngest of three children raised in a single parent Redcar family, she always does her best to make a difference, often in deeply distressing circumstances. Stacey has taken survivors of domestic abuse to receive help, offers free legal advice to a range of organisations, and runs a law clinic at Teesside University. She has also set up a domestic abuse helpline and supports numerous charities – all despite suffering from endometriosis, which has led to 11 operations and requires ongoing treatment. SPONSOR’S MESSAGE Nicola Duffey, head of HR at SABIC: “The number of nominees for this category was overwhelming and the calibre of every single nominee was exceptional. “All of the candidates we shortlisted have not only achieved so much personally, they also demonstrated great commitment to helping and supporting other women, often in difficult circumstances. These are the sort of women we need as role models on Teesside to support and encourage other women. “The awards event itself was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the female talent we have in the area, which should help to inspire and motivate the next generation of successful businesswomen.”