On 22nd March, we had the pleasure of being invited along to the inaugural Lean In Leeds Women of Excellence Awards. They selected Smart Works Leeds as their charity partner for the event and raised a phenomenal £2000 on the day!

“When women rise, they bring other women up with them,” explains Claire Ackers, chair of Lean In Leeds. “That’s the mission of our community, and the vision behind what’s made these awards so different. We’re so proud we’ve given a spotlight to women who are excluded from typical awards criteria. We’re thrilled that our inaugural attempt has been successful beyond our wildest dreams.”

Lean In Leeds is a not-for-profit organisation run entirely by volunteers. Founded over seven years ago, it has over 1100 members and has run over 60 free events in Leeds and the surrounding areas, supported by local businesses. It also has a thriving mentoring scheme and welcomes anybody who supports their primary focus of gender equality.

We cannot wait to see this event grow year on year and keep celebrating so many women that deserve to be celebrated!