Josefina Gori: 'Ottery celebrates International Women's Day'

The organisers believe that gender equality is crucial. Ensuring that women and girls have equal rights across all aspects of life is the only way to secure prosperous and fair economies and a healthy planet for future generations. In Ottery four award-winning female entrepreneurs fit this year’s theme. This article highlights their achievements, perspectives on success and hopes for future generations.

Nicci Simpson is the proud owner of Devon Eco Boutique, a shop that specializes in selling eco-friendly and ethical products for babies and young children. Nicci's business has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Global Business Award and the SME Sustainable Baby Boutique Award. Nicci herself has been shortlisted for the UK's Top Female Entrepreneurs of 2024. Nicci’s message conveyed through her website reflects a young mother who has successfully tailored her job around both family and her mental health needs and that with determination, anything is possible.

Andrea Broadhurst and Beth Ashfield, the co-owners of Coldharbour Farm Shop & Field Kitchen, have been nominated for a Countryside Alliance Award in the Local Food and Drink category. More than 17,000 customers have independently shared their opinions on why they believe their favourite businesses deserve national recognition, which led to the nomination. Since its inception in 2016, the business has been committed to sourcing locally. The company supports large and small local suppliers to provide the highest quality products to their customers in both the shop and restaurant. This dedication to local sourcing has earned them several awards, Gold Devon Tourism Award, Silver South West Tourism Award and a finalist spot in the Westcountry Women Awards.

Andrea and Beth's advice to any female venturing into the food and hospitality sector: "You have to remember this type of work requires hard work and dedication; the hours can be long and unsociable. You need to think creatively and think of new ways to tempt people to visit so they come back time and again. And it's so important to have the right team around you. We're very lucky to have an amazing bunch who are the best, especially when it comes to looking after our customers."

We had another winner in Lisette Johnston on a completely different field but not necessarily of less importance to the community's well-being. She was among four finalists shortlisted for the Green award in the BBC Make a Difference award and received the trophy at a ceremony held at Powderham Castle in September 2023. Lisette has been central to various community environmental initiatives over the last few years.

It all started when she began litter-picking while walking during the COVID-19 pandemic. Soon, she joined forces with like-minded Tipton residents to form the Eager Beavers in 2021. The Eager Beavers branched out into testing the water quality of the River Otter in early 2022. Then, they created a community garden in a corner of the village playing field, where they grew fruit, vegetables, and herbs and incorporated pollinator-friendly plants. They put up bird and bat boxes and created a nature area.

In the last few months, they built an upcycled walkway through an area of wet woodland near the River Otter.

Lisette's message to those wanting to follow in her footsteps is: "I was very surprised and humbled to receive the BBC Radio Devon Make a Difference Green Award and would say to anyone that 'yes you CAN make a difference' no matter how little your contribution may seem, if everyone did one small thing, the overall effect would be huge. We can all look at making small changes, just by considering your lifestyle in detail, maybe find one or two things that will make your choices more sustainable. Simple options could be using soap instead of shower gel, looking for recycled products, or buying produce locally and in season. We have a wonderful planet; let's do all we can together to keep it that way."