This week I sponsored and photographed the inaugural Maven Awards. Maven is Winchester’s first female co-working space and was set up in 2021 by Natalie, my friend and neighbour, as a creative, collaborative and social hub for the amazing women of Winchester.

In 2019, Nat closed her well loved bridal boutique, Exquisite Bridal Couture, and was excited and ready to start her next chapter. Not knowing what that was, she threw a closing party in the boutique for her closest girlfriends and it was there that Nat saw the opportunity. Women together, in a beautiful space, having fun, holding networking events and working together. And so Maven was born.

I was so excited about the awards that when Nat told me about it back in January I literally jumped at the chance to be involved. I knew I wanted in on this event. I am a woman in business and after almost 20 years as a working photographer in London I am looking to move more of my business to Hampshire and Maven was the obvious place to start. I specialise in and love to take portraits. That is my passion. But over the years I have photographed all sorts of things, I’ve gone from assisting a food photographer (who shot mainly Magnums and Schwartz spices!), I’ve worked with an interior designer on big beautiful lifestyle projects (of which I have very fond memories staying with Rachel Bates week-in-week-out up in Cheshire) to large scale star-studded events abroad, but it is weddings and portraits where my heart lies. A wedding is an opportunity to take lots of beautiful portraits of people at their happiest, both guests and couples. An event, like the awards for Maven, is another opportunity to take fun, action packed portraits of people enjoying themselves and celebrating. It’s all about people for me. I am one of those people who actually loves being around people and I get lots of energy making connections with like-minded people who I can laugh with and talk to openly and honestly. The Maven awards night was one of those nights; I met some amazing women. Women who really should be and now can be celebrated thanks to Nat.

The entertainment on the night was also brilliant. We had Winchester Theatre Arts led by Laura Goodwin who was also a finalist in Community Maven of the year. Emma Hayfield from LegUpDance who gave us a brilliant burlesque act and who is all about body confidence through dance. Nat’s very good (and talented) friend Molly Amour, jazz singer who permormed with Kate on bass. They sounded gorgeous!

The night was rounded off by Rebecca Chambers, X-factor finalist with The Choir and who is N-Trance’s lead singer and she really got the crowd up and made us all feel like we could conquer anything!

The idea is that the Maven Awards becomes an annual event where we all come together in our beautiful city to celebrate each other.

Congratulations to all of the winners this week. You, and all of the finalists are brilliant!