Rebecca’s two bites at cherry

Oct 12 2009 by Karen McLauchlan, Evening Gazette

A SPECIALIST communications and events agency owner from Stokesley is celebrating after being short-listed for two prestigious awards in the 2009 North-East Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.

Rebecca Howard, owner of Cynergy, which works exclusively in the health and public sector, has not only been short-listed in the Best Small Business category of the annual Women Into the Network awards, but has also been nominated for the celebrated Susan Dobson Award for Entrepreneurship.

She is joined by four other nominees flying the flag for the Tees Valley - Tanya Garland of Cool Blue Brand Communications in Middlesbrough; Emily Humphrys and Alison White of Cambridge Research Biochemicals in Billingham; Zoe Walton of Website Promotions; and Julie Richardson of KeyStage Recruitment, both based in Stockton.

The five are among the 31 North-east women in business to have made the short-list.

The awards, now in their 10th year, are being organised by a group of the region’s top female businesswomen under new membership organisation WIN.

The winners will be announced on November 20 at a ceremony at the NewcastleGateshead Hilton.

WIN board member Ann Stonehouse, owner of Accountancy @ Willowbank & Co-Efficient Outsourcing in Middlesbrough, said: “The high quality of our nominees speaks for itself.

“For new and smaller businesses, winning one really can provide a springboard to growth, add real credibility to what they are doing, and provide fantastic marketing opportunities.”