We first heard about Merseyside Women of the Year (MWOTY) awards when we were nominated in the Healthcare Hero category. We then checked and saw how huge this nomination was. We were humbled as we read about all the previous candidates and the amazing changes they had made in peoples’ lives. We’ve been involved since then really. After meeting with the team and supporters we felt it was an amazing opportunity for us and we wanted to be more involved.
The year that we won our award, we met up with so many amazing people, current and previous winners and nominees alike. We built a fantastic relationship with one previous winner, NEO Community, in particular we even decided to join forces to create a new category, the Community Change award.
Our category was created to look at what true community partnerships should look like, as this was very important to both of our organisations. We believe that we are stronger together and that is what we wanted to promote to new nominees.
I think what makes MWOTY so special is the people, the driving forces behind making this event happen and getting a feel for the amazing female potential across Merseyside. These people are the doers not the talkers. It is the passion for making change happen makes this event so special.
As previous nominees and winners, the recognition that so many people had voted for us and that we had even been nominated was enough for us. It made us feel proud and let us know that we were doing a good job in supporting so many families children, young people and professionals to better understand Neurodevelopmental conditions.
We were made to feel so special and we were treated so wonderfully by the MWOTY team and supporters. On the day itself we felt amazing. The sponsors gifts designed to make us all feel wonderful, the champagne on arrival, the ceremony itself.
As winners, when your name is called out and the room erupts, it feels like everyone is celebrating with you. There is no better feeling and no better recognition that you are doing it right. It was a wonderful experience one that we will never forget and hopefully the new nominees will always remember too.
Despite being a small Community Interest Company, we continue to invest in MWOTY because we truly believe in helping other women to reach their potential. If we can help make that happen through MWOTY then we will continue to do so.
Through our sponsorship of MWOTY we have met so many amazing people who have helped us to promote our business and who have supported us to continue our work, as well as building on partnerships that have helped us to grow our service further afield.
These awards are so important to the Liverpool City Region because they promote women at a level that gives all women – young or not so young – the opportunity to believe that they have huge value and a place at the table with the best. Liverpool is a wonderful city with wonderful powerful and passionate people living, working and having fun here. This event puts us at the top table and can only get bigger.
MWOTY’s focus on the unsung heroines is very important. This event supports those who are at grassroots doing it day to day and who just get on with it. The light needs to shine on these people who don’t push themselves into the spotlight, there are thousands out there, so let’s shine the spotlight in their direction.
