A County Durham businesswoman is on the judging panel for this years National Women in Business Awards

Sara Davies is the founder of Crafter's Companions and a founding member of investment group Gabriel

She'll be giving a speech at the North East and Yorkshire heats of the competition in Newcastle at the end of this month.

The awards are designed to recognise the achievements of professional women across the country, organised by leading business forum Forward Ladies, in the hopes of inspiring future generations.

Sara launched Crafter's Companion while at the University of York, to provide craft essentials and tools to a growing market.

The company, which became an overnight success, now supplies products to a global market and has offices in the UK, Europe and the US.
 
"I was delighted to be asked to speak at the Newcastle heat for this year's awards," said Sara.

"Inspiring other entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams is something I feel strongly about, so it's great to be given another platform to do that."

Sara, who is part of this year's judging panel, is also a founding member of the North East's only all-female investment group, Gabriel.

Gabriel offer investment and mentoring to entrepreneurs in the region to help take their businesses to the next level.

The National Women In Business Awards final ceremony will be held in Leeds on the 20th November.

Each of the nominees will be judged on six key criteria, including personal integrity and resilience, community impact, sustainability, leadership and strategic direction, financial performance and innovation.