Owner of Chesterfield Doggy Day Care business wins prestigious regional award
The owner of Chesterfield’s Rose Cottage Doggy Day Care is celebrating, after winning a coveted accolade at the East Midlands Chamber Enterprising Women Awards.
Dawn Brown walked away with the Female Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the gala dinner, held at Leicester Tigers’ Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium in partnership with Futures Housing Group.
Speaking on the award win, Dawn commented: “I get asked what it’s like to be a woman in business. I describe it as a roller coaster ride with highs and lows, twists and turns and often times when you go so fast you just want to get off but we don’t! We just carry on with pure grit and determination to succeed.”
“People see business owners like swans swanning about doing as they please, but what they don’t see are our legs going like the clappers underneath to hold it all together, especially women in business. We hold down a family, I have 5 kids and a fiancée so you could say 6 kids!
“At Rose Cottage we look after 50 dogs a day, with a team of 7 people working with me. So this award means so much more to me personally because it’s recognition for all that hard work and dedication that people do not necessarily see.
“I’m truly honoured to receive this award from the Chamber and I’m grateful for being a woman in business that has been recognised for all her hard work.”
Enterprising Women Co-Chair, Eileen Perry MBE DL commented: “Congratulations to all the nominees and winners of this year’s Enterprising Women Awards. The gala dinner is always the biggest date in the calendar for the network, which Jean and I look forward to attending every year – and the breadth of female talent across the East Midlands business community just gets stronger.”
Co-Chair Jean Mountain said: “When I co-founded Enterprising Women 25 years ago, the business landscape was very male-dominated. We wanted to change that and create a space for women to network with each other, learn from one another’s experience and gain skills to use in their work, and sometimes personal lives.
“Recognising the achievements of women in business was an important part of that, to give them the confidence to succeed further and thrive in their careers.
“I’m so proud of how far the network has come, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the future.”
ITV weather presenter Emma Jesson returned to host the black-tie event, which was packed with entertainment provided by singer-songwriter Esmee Esho, comedian Patrick Monahan and Leicester band The Jamlocks.
Enterprising Women Awards 2022 winners
Business Woman of the Year – Sponsored by Futures Housing Group
Emily Smith – Michael Smith Switchgear
Female Entrepreneur of the Year – Sponsored by Midlands Engine Investment Fund
Dawn Brown – Rose Cottage Doggy Day Care
Social Commitment Award – Sponsored by She Inspires Global
Gift Wellness
Small Business of the Year – Sponsored by Unique Window Systems
Fraser Stretton Property Group
Female Employee of the Year – Sponsored by Smallman & Son
Karen Miles – trentbarton
Team of the Year – Sponsored by PPL PRS
TwentyTwenty – Love4Life
Outstanding Contribution to Work in STEM – Sponsored by Pick Everard
De Montfort University
Apprentice of the Year – Sponsored by EMA Training
Ruby Birks – Purpose Media
Rising Star Award – Sponsored by Amanda Daly – The Turnaround CEO
Jessica Barnett – Timms Solicitors
Diversity Champion – Sponsored by Breedon Consulting
Stephen Gould – Everards Brewery
Lifetime Achievement Award – Sponsored by Paradigm Wills and Sales Solutions
Rosemary Conley CBE DL
