“The EEBW awards are also very much designed to encourage younger women to pursue a career in business. The success of others can be a great inspiration to them so we do hope to encourage as many to enter as possible.”

RISING and established stars of the business world are being urged to enter this year’s East of England Businesswomen Awards, held in association with the Institute of Directors East of England.

With the April 4 deadline fast approaching for nominations to the 21st awards, EEBW committee members and sponsors gathered rather appropriately at what has been described as one of the finest teaching observatories in the country.

Corporate and independent women from Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Suffolk and Norfolk are invited to nominate themselves or others in the following categories: Businesswoman of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Start-up Business of the Year and the Rising Star of the Year award. They can also enter others for the Beatrice Wilkinson Memorial Award.

Speaking at the University of Hertfordshire’s Bayfordbury Observatory, EEBW chair Jane Cox said: “Women are often very reluctant to put themselves forward and sing their own praises. But there are many outstanding businesswomen out there who are bucking the recession and doing extremely well.

“The EEBW awards are also very much designed to encourage younger women to pursue a career in business. The success of others can be a great inspiration to them so we do hope to encourage as many to enter as possible.”

Entrants can register their nominations online at www.eebw.co.uk and the closing date for entries is 9am on Monday, April 4. Judging will begin on April 11, followed by visits to the finalists in the week commencing April 18.

The winners will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony on May 26 at the West Wing, Ickworth House near Bury St Edmunds, featuring guest speaker, BBC business reporter Karen Hoggan.

INFO: contact EEBW administrator Caroline Kearney on 07720 073883 or info@eebw.co.uk.

Photo shows: from left, Sharon Smith from Lloyds TSB Commercial and Viki Holton from Ashridge Business School with EEBW committee members Alison Beech, Jane Cox, Pat Perry and Colleen Gostick.