At the private view of SIT Select Showcase I was awarded Best New Business Development. My prize is 12 months of business advice and support from the highly regarded Andy Christian.

As many makers will understand, juggling a creative practice and business skills can sometimes be an arduous task. Over the past few months I’ve become more aware of the need to step back and reassess what’s working and whats’s not. Having had the benefit of the Craft Council’s prestigious Hothouse programme I’m already equipped with the core skills to run this ship and I love the accessibility of the on-line creative business resource The Design Trust. However, nothing beats one-to-one mentoring from an industry professional, and this amazing opportunity with Andy Christian couldn’t have come at a better time.

Huge thanks to Lizzie Walton at SIT Select for organising these awards as part of the Showcase. I was delighted to share this happy occasion with friends and fellow makers from seam Collective and Hothouse, and the icing on the cake was that two of my young daughters were with me on the evening. It was their arrival into the world that spurred me on to pursue my dream of setting up my practice, and I hope that seeing me gain recognition for the hard work involved will inspire them in their future ambitions.