Overcoming barriers, breaking glass ceilings, and gaining a seat at the table: were the sentiments of the extraordinary group of women who attended the WIFS Awards on Thursday 10 November. The 300-strong guest list at the glamorous black-tie event gathered men and women who have spent years shaping the fire safety industry into what it is, alongside those who are just starting out and already have much to be proud of.
Organized by Chloe Vickery and Kate Blake to tackle the historic gender imbalance that exists in the industry, diversity and inclusion remained the key topics throughout the evening. They invited women from all areas of business management, recruitment, education, engineering, and fire and rescue services to the stage to celebrate their achievements, showcasing the incredible strides the industry has taken in recent years.
FPA team
Perhaps one of the most inspiring outcomes of the evening was witnessing like-minded people sharing their personal stories and offering their support for each other.
One of the most inspiring outcomes was witnessing like-minded people sharing their personal stories
The FPA team was also present on the night, with Claire Wright, Director of Training and Digital Services, presenting the FPA-sponsored award for Business Manager of the Year.
“It's really incredible to be in a room full of amazing people in this industry, which I've been a part of for about 16 years now. And I just want to say congratulations to Kate and Chloe for this evening and for gathering this momentum in such a short space of time. I think it's a real testament to them wanting to share their story and be so honest with everybody in the industry,” Claire said. The award was presented to Tracy Gregory, General Manager, Fire Consultancy Division of Chubb Fire & Security UK.
Other winners
Other winners included Mandy Youssef, who won the Rising Star Award, and Fiona Perrin, who won Influencer of the Year. The final, and most anticipated, award of the evening was Woman of the Year, which was won by Lynsey Seal, Principal Fire Engineer at the London Fire Brigade. Lynsey shared her heartfelt thanks to the other finalists whom she admires greatly along with her allies – both men and women – who have continually supported her throughout her career.
“I want to congratulate every woman in this room because every one of you has broken down a barrier at some point throughout your journey. And that's going to help somebody else in the future,” she said.
Winners of the 2022 WIFS Awards:
- Woman of the Year – Lynsey Seal
- Rising Star Award – Mandy Youssef
- Business Manager of the Year – Tracy Gregory
- Recruiter of the Year – Katie Lowe
- Inspirational Award – Michelle Metcalfe
- Business Administrator Award – Louise Burgess
- International Award – Danielle Antonellis
- Influencer of the Year – Fiona Perrin
- Educational Award – Building Safety Crisis
- Diversity Champion – Hayley Burgess
- Fire Safety Manager of the Year – Emily Harrison
- Fire Safety Team of the Year – Network Homes
Judgment panel
The judging panel for this year also displayed the diversity and inclusivity of the awards presented. Judges included Janine Osbourne, Principal Fire Engineer at OFR Consultants; Nick Coombe MBE, NFCC Protection & Business Safety Vice Chair Head of the Protection, Policy and Reform Unit; Jess Phillips, Labor MP for Birmingham Yardley and Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding; David White, Chairman of The Institute of Fire Safety Managers; Andrea White, Managing Director at A W Fire Ltd; Keith Todd, Head of Fire Safety at Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea; Aileen Evans, Group Chief Executive at Grand Union Housing Group; Ryan Dempsey, Chief Executive Officer at TCW; Melissa Pearce, Client Relationship Director at Wates Group; Dan Jackson, Fire Safety Systems Consultant at New Terra Compliance; and Georgina Fennel, Training and Events Executive at the Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP).
The FPA extends huge congratulations to all the winners!
