Member Article

London Entrepreneur Celebrated at House of Lords to Mark International Women’s Day

Inspirational female founders from across the UK gathered at the event to champion entrepreneurship.

Purdey Collier, founder of TingTang Dry Wash Shampoo, attended a special International Women’s Day reception at the House of Lords, which recognised their strong contribution to entrepreneurship.

The event spotlighted over 100 impressive, multi-achieving female business owners being championed by Small Business Britain’s ƒ:Entrepreneur #ialso100 campaign, which showcases the phenomenal contribution to society, economy and communities that many female founders are making across the country.

Purdey was named an ƒ:Entrepreneur #ialso100 this year in recognition of her inspiring entrepreneurial journey, which has involved running a business alongside a roster of other responsibilities. TingTang is a dry shampoo that actually cleans, allowing you to wash without water. Core customers are those who find traditional bathing a challenge, who suffer from chronic illness or disability, or busy Mums and their Tots.

Purdey enjoyed afternoon tea and networking in the sun shining down on Westminster and the terrace, meeting peers from ƒ:Entrepreneur #ialso cohorts, as well as special guest speaker Labour MP Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, who paid tribute to the power of female entrepreneurship.

Purdey said, I was absolutely thrilled to be at the House of Lords, surrounded by so much inspiration. The strength, energy, support and happiness were bountiful – an amazing atmosphere and afternoon.

Delivered by Small Business Britain – the leading champion of small businesses in the UK - f:Entrepreneur campaign was launched in 2017 to highlight the stories of amazing female business owners and help provide inspiration and role models across the wider small business community. Now in its fifth year, the campaign offers a host of events, training and networking opportunities to boost skills, capability and confidence.

This comes on the back of new research carried out by the campaign this month which found that following the pandemic, nearly a fifth (17%) of women are considering entrepreneurship, with 44% of them citing pursuing a passion as a key motivator, alongside 46% wanting greater flexibility.

Being in room full of such impressive female founders such as Purdey was really uplifting, especially after a tough couple of years for entrepreneurs, said Michelle Ovens CBE, Founder of Small Business Britain and the ƒ:Entrepreneur campaign.

To hear all the incredible things that these women do and the impact they are making, not just in their businesses but in their wider communities, is truly inspiring, and underlines that we must do everything we can to support them. This profound desire among women to create opportunity out of their passions, to build businesses with mission and purpose at their hearts, and to drive forward success, despite everything thrown at them during this pandemic, is amazingly powerful. We must nurture female entrepreneurship so it continues to flourish in the UK and plays a key role in recovery.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by cam phillips .