EMMA Robson, Director of Stort Valley Spirits & Gifting attended a special International Women’s Day reception at the House of Lords on Wednesday, recognising her strong contribution to entrepreneurship.  

The event spotlighted multi-achieving female business owners from across the country, who are being championed by Small Business Britain’s ƒ:Entrepreneur campaign, which showcases an annual line-up of 100 phenomenal women making a significant contribution to society, economy and communities, called the ‘IAlso100’.

Emma was named as one of ƒ:Entrepreneur’s ‘IAlso100’ this year in recognition of her inspiring entrepreneurial journey, which has involved running a business alongside a roster of other responsibilities. Stort Valley Spirits & Gifting, founded in 2020, aims to champion the array of artisan food and drink in the region, offering personalised gifting using sustainable and ethical produce sourced from Herts & Essex.  Currently working with and supporting more than 40 producers, Emma’s goal is to show that supporting local with hampers and gifting doesn’t have to be expensive and offers invaluable support to other businesses in the area.   Emma is also an Ambassdor for The Prosperity Network and is currently working on the Local Produce Food & Drink Festival which is planned for the 1^st July 2023 and last year attracted over 1000 attendees. 

Emma said, “ To be recognised as one of the IAlso100 is something we are really proud of and to be then invited to attend the International Women’s Day Parliamentary Reception, along with other inspirational female business owners, was an honour.  We are passionate about everything local and attending events like this allows us to share not just what we do but what is available in our local area and the wealth of produce that we have”

Emma enjoyed afternoon tea and networking in Westminster, meeting other founders from across the country, as well as hearing from special guest speakers Seema Malhotra MP, Shadow Minister for Small Business and Consumers, and entrepreneur Lucy Griffiths, a business coach and former TV reporter covering the war in Ukraine, who paid tribute to the power of female entrepreneurship.  

Seema Malhotra MP said, “As the Shadow Minister for Business and Consumers, I am passionate about seeing that we do all we can to make Britain the best place to start and grow a business. I was very proud to join Small Business Britain and 100 female entrepreneurs in parliament to celebrate International Women’s Day, to hear their stories, learn from their achievements and recognise the huge contribution of women-led businesses to our economy. 

They are an inspiration and tackling the barriers women entrepreneurs face is central to how we grow our economy.”

Delivered by Small Business Britain – the leading champion of small businesses in the UK –  f:Entrepreneur campaign was launched in 2017 to highlight the stories of amazing female business owners and help provide inspiration and role models across the wider small business community. Now in its year, the campaign reflects how female entrepreneurs continue to thrive in the UK despite the challenges of the past years, with many scaling or starting new ventures.

Michelle Ovens CBE, Founder of Small Business Britain and the ƒ:Entrepreneur campaign said:

“Female entrepreneurs are a hugely powerful force across the UK, with an inspiring ability to build fantastic businesses, often with a huge sense of mission and passion behind them. It was wonderful to celebrate Emma and all of the phenomenal women involved in this year’s f-entrepreneur campaign at the House of Lords. 

“With the rise in the number of women starting up, this group undoubtedly represents a huge part of the future of UK growth, so we need to do more to encourage and support them, particularly given the challenges we are seeing at the moment.”

To see the full line-up of the 100 amazing women featured in this year’s f:Entrepreneur #IAlso100 campaign  visit https://f-entrepreneur.com/ialso-100-2023/