This Is Tees Valley This Is Tees Valley - Issue 1 2020 | Página 78

INSPIRING
LADIES
Recognition – Inspiring Others award winner
Catherine Devereux (second right) with
finalists Ellie Rees (left) and Jane Turner,
and Zoe Lewis from headline sponsor
Northern Skills Group.
Awards shine spotlight
on Tees Valley women
A
new movement to recognise high-
achieving women in the Tees Valley
has gathered huge momentum just two
years after launching.
Resolution Media and Publishing, the
company behind This Is Tees Valley, launched
the Tees Businesswomen Awards in 2018.
More than 280 people attended the
inaugural event at Wynyard Hall – but the
organisers had to expand the celebration to
Wynyard’s marquee for the second year, with
445 people in attendance.
Two emotional standing ovations for award-
winners Professor Jane Turner and Catherine
Devereux were the highlights of the evening.
It was a night of ten category winners
– with Sharon Lane’s mum and fellow
Tees Components director Jean Wood
receiving the Businesswoman of the Year
gong on her behalf – while Jane, pro-vice
chancellor at Teesside University, received the
Outstanding Contribution Award in a surprise
presentation.
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Seventeen months after losing husband
Russ to suicide, Catherine was the winner of
the Inspiring Others Award in recognition of
her work setting up children’s mental health
charity, the Russ Devereux Headlight Project,
in his memory.
With Russ’s parents and many other family
and friends looking on, the announcement
of Catherine’s name brought the audience
to their feet, as they applauded the tearful
solicitor onto the stage.
After receiving her award from Zoe Lewis
of headline sponsors Northern Skills Group,
on behalf of category sponsors SABIC, tears
rolled down Catherine’s cheeks as she told
event host, BBC presenter Charlie Charlton,
she was proud to accept the award to further
raise the profile of the project’s work.
Reflecting on the fact it was a night of
awards for women, she said: “The irony is that
this came from a man who was just amazing
and it’s been a massive loss to our family.
“I look at Russ’s mum and dad and all his