Giving female entrepreneurs a stronger voice

Women business leaders in Skipton and the Aire Valley are being encouraged to join the new group, which has been established by law firm AWB Charlesworth and Nat West.

The women@work network has been created by April Chamberlain, the managing partner of AWB Charlesworth, and Elizabeth Smith, business manager at Nat West, who has been supporting local SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) for the last 10 years.

The Yorkshire Dales Ice Cream Parlour in Skipton is the venue for the network’s inaugural event, which will be held at 6pm on Thursday, September 20.

The keynote speaker will be Vicky Fryer, the award-winning managing partner of Bradford-based Naylor Wintersgill chartered accountants.

Ms Fryer is among a tiny number of women who have risen through the ranks to lead a professional services firm.

Over the past two decades, Ms Fryer has campaigned hard for her home city, which has twice been the scene of riots.

While other accountancy firms have moved out, she’s been part of a management team at Naylor Wintersgill that has backed Bradford and the Aire Valley to the hilt.

In 1999 she pulled off the remarkable feat of being crowned ICAEW New Accountant of the Year, and she spoke up for the interests of young chartered accountants while sitting on the ICAEW council between 2002 and 2004.

She’s also participated in a Yorkshire-based business education programme sponsored by investment bank Goldman Sachs, which will help small businesses to grow during the worst financial crisis in generations. The programme, the first of its kind in the UK, is being delivered by experts from Leeds University Business School and Said Business School at Oxford University.

Ms Chamberlain said yesterday: “We saw a gap in the market for a fresh approach to women’s networking.

“We want to provide a forum for business women to meet in an informal environment to develop their business relationships. Women@work will meet that need.”

Pre-registration for the launch event is essential and Ms Chamberlain reported that interest levels were already high.

If you’re interested in attending, contact Ms Chamberlain on 01756 793333 or visit www.awbclaw.co.uk