Chief Executive of social enterprise aspire-igen, Caroline Harrison, has scooped the award for ‘Director of the Year’ in the not for profit category at the Yorkshire Business Leaders Awards 2017.
Caroline was up against four other dynamic business leaders in the category, but managed to take the title at the inaugural event organised to showcase business talent in Yorkshire.
Accepting her award from TV presenter Mark Durden-Smith on Thursday evening at the Royal Armouries in Leeds, Caroline paid tribute to the staff of aspire-igen, who she described as “275 of Yorkshire’s finest”.
In the same week, it was announced Caroline is also shortlisted for not just one, but two awards at the Barclays Yorkshire Women in Business Awards 2017 – an event put on to celebrate key influencers and successful women in business. Caroline had been put forward in the ‘Women of the Year SME’ category, but the independent judging panel felt that aspire-igen’s work in diversity and citizenship warranted a move into the ‘Most Supportive Business Promoting Diversity & Citizenship’ category as well.
Aspire-igen works tirelessly across Yorkshire and the Humber to change lives for the better through learning and work. Caroline has been committed to expanding the organisations reach in recent years, to offer the breadth of employability services for all ages to more communities across the region.
Caroline said of her latest nomination “Working with the business community and adopting the LEP Skills Plans, we are able to help tens of thousands of people to access a wide range of opportunities across Yorkshire and the Humber every single year.
Our social impact is huge, and in these austere times, it has never been more necessary. I am very grateful for being shortlisted for these two awards and being given the chance to showcase our work and further extend our reach.”
Anj Handa, Founder of Inspiring Women Changemakers, who put forward Caroline forward in the ‘Women of the Year SME’ category said “I nominated the amazing, humble Caroline for this award because she does so much more for social good than people could ever know”.
