Windsor, UK - 15th July 2024
Helen Cooke, CEO & Founder of MyPlus has been shortlisted for the Entrepreneur of Excellence Award in this year’s National Diversity Awards in association with HSBC UK. It’s a huge achievement to reach this stage as from over 90,000 nominees, 125 finalists in 10 categories have been named in recognition of their dedication to advancing equality, diversity and inclusion.
Helen is widely regarded as one of the UK’s leading disability employment experts who for nearly 20 years has worked tirelessly to improve employment outcomes for disabled individuals, particularly students starting out in their career. She has strived to continuously introduce new innovative ways working with employers, universities and disabled individuals to realise her vision of ensuring that having a disability or long-term health condition doesn't prevent anyone from having the career that they want to have.
Winners will be announced on October 4, 2024 at the prestigious 13th National Diversity Awards in the stunning Liverpool Anglican Cathedral.
A highlight in the diversity calendar, the National Diversity Awards unite UK citizens irrespective of race, faith, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability and culture. Hailed as the ‘Golden Globes’ of the diversity world, this year’s event will be hosted for the second year running by world-renowned broadcaster, author, presenter and journalist Clare Balding, CBE who, in her life and through her work, champions diversity, inclusion and equity.
“I’m honoured and delighted to return as host for these uplifting and inspiring awards. It’s so important to recognise individuals, organisations and charities going above and beyond to unite their communities, making them stronger, safer and happier,” says Clare Balding, CBE. “The National Diversity Awards celebrate all that’s good and powerful in an inclusive society and bring much deserved attention to community heroes whose hard work and achievements might otherwise go unnoticed.”
Nominees were put forward for one of these categories:
Positive Role Model: Age / Disability / Gender / LGBT / Race, Faith or Religion
Community Organisation: Age / Disability / Gender / LGBT / Race, Faith or Religion / Multi-Strand
Lifetime Achiever
Celebrity of the Year
Entrepreneur of Excellence
Diverse Company of the Year
The finalists in the Entrepreneur of Excellence category are:
Adrien & Pierre Gaubert, Victoria Emslie, Nic Ponsford, Ross Laing, Shada Lambert, Simon Sansome, Helen Cooke and Ian & Sue Rainford
“I am delighted to be shortlisted for the ‘Entrepreneur of Excellence Award’. I started my disability employment consultancy ‘MyPlus’ in 2005 working with employers to help them realise that individuals with disabilities bring skills, talents and ‘Plus’s’ to an organisation which they have gained from managing their disability” says Helen Cooke. “I want disabled individuals to realise their career ambitions and employers to benefit from the unique talents and strengths that disabled individuals can, and do, bring to an organisation. I really hope this award will help raise the profile of what I do so that more organisations and individuals will benefit, and I get closer to achieving my vision”.
“These Awards honour the unsung heroes transforming lives and perceptions through their unwavering commitment,” says Paul Sesay, CEO of Inclusive Companies, and founder of the National Diversity Awards. “They also serve to inspire the next generation of diversity advocates to be courageous, take a stand and make a meaningful impact in their communities.”
Find out more at: www.nationaldiversityawards.co.uk
Media contact for the National Diversity Awards:
Email: Katherine@prworkshop.co.uk / 07787 533143
For more information, contact:
Lise Austen, MyPlus PR Manager
Email: lise@myplusconsulting.com
