Mansfield businesswoman Rachel Hall was crowned Community Champion of the Year at the East Midlands Chamber’s annual conference and Enterprising Women awards.

Rachel — an owner and director of Hall-Fast Industrial Supplies — received the award at Shearsby Bath, Lutterworth.

“I am immensely proud to win,” she said. “I did not expect to as the standard of the other finalists was very high,

“I, along with everyone at Hall-Fast, am proud the continued success of our business enables us to give back to others.”
The awards, which honour the most successful and inspirational businesswomen in the region, were held to coincide with International Women’s Day.

Bonita Nortis, the youngest person to reach both the summit of Mount Everest and the North Pole, gave a speech.

Rachel has been instrumental in Hall-Fast’s success, a business that she set up from the spare bedroom of the family home with her husband, Malcolm Hall in August 2006.

The firm now supplies a standard range of 200,000 items to 16,000plus customers in 90 overseas markets.

Its success has enabled the company to give back to the community, through fundraising and sponsorship.

Jean Mountain, Chamber President and Joint Chair of Enterprising Women, said: “There were some very worthy entries for this year’s awards and we have some great sponsors too.”

Joint Chair Eileen Richards added: “The standard of entries has been very high this year. I think there is a real hunger among women in the business community to be recognised for their achievements and these awards are one of the best ways to achieve that recognition.”