Which of these 3 women from the East Midlands and East Anglia should win an w&h Amazing Women Award in 2020?

**VOTING HAS NOW CLOSED FOR THE AMAZING WOMEN AWARDS 2020. WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN OUR NOVEMBER ISSUE (ON SALE OCTOBER). ANY VOTES NOW WILL NOT BE COUNTED. THANK YOU FOR TAKING PART, FROM THE W&H TEAM**

Here we present the shortlist of 3 finalists for the East Midlands and East Anglia – selected in recognition of their enthusiasm, determination and dedication. (The other four regions are: Scotland and Northern Ireland, North West, North East and in Yorkshire, Wales and West Midlands, South West and South East).

You can see the details of all the other finalists here.

Votes close on the 31st of July 2020. Look out for the winners in our November issue (on sale October) and online.

Now, all you have to do is scroll down and choose which of these fabulous women you’d like to see in the final line-up of the Amazing Women Awards 2020!

The 3 finalists from the East Midlands and East Anglia

1. Ali Miles-Jenkins, 60, from Colchester
2. Diana Porter, 73, from Ipswich
3. Stevie Roach, 63, from Cambridge

1. Ali Miles-Jenkins, nominated for campaigning against ageism

Ali Miles-Jenkins, 60, from Colchester, owns TheBoomBoss®, offering events and workshops to inspire and motivate entrepreneurial women over 50 as they establish or grow their businesses. The company’s Facebook members number over 6,000.

Ali says: Women over 50 still face discrimination in the workplace. We’re perceived to lack drive, that we can’t cope with tech, won’t handle working under a younger female boss… I work to challenge this through training and by helping women who have been successful to have success on their terms by setting up their own businesses. It’s about turning their skills, experience, expertise and knowledge into an expert-based business.

Sarah Stark, who nominated Ali, says: In addition to helping women set up in business, Ali is passionate about highlighting the problem of ageism at in the workplace.

2. Diana Porter, nominated for helping victims of childhood abuse

Diana Porter, 73, from Ipswich, used her redundancy money to found Fresh Start New Beginnings, a charity offering support and help for children who have suffered sexual abuse. In 2018 Diana was awarded an MBE for her services.

Diana says: I’m thrilled to be named finalist on behalf of all the team but it’s the children we work with who are really amazing. They are so resilient and it’s a privilege to enjoy their trust. You can’t undo abuse but through therapy such as CBT you can give them tools to cope so they can move on and lead happy lives.

Patsy Johnson-Cisse, who nominated Diana, says: Having founded a charity that to date has seen over 14,000 children and their families through the trauma of abuse, many people would have wound down. Diana continues to give talks and work with children.

3. Stevie Roach, nominated for assisting non-reading adults

Stevie Roach, 63, from Cambridge, is a local co-ordinator for Read Easy, tutoring non-reading adults on a volunteer basis, enhancing their job opportunities.

Stevie says: It takes huge courage to admit you can’t read. We help many different people – those who were unable to access learning at school, women from communities where education for girls is not encouraged and people whose confidence in the skills they had has been eroded. The transformation in someone who learns to read is amazing – they shed feelings of worthlessness. It’s fantastic to witness.

Norma Neeson, who nominated Stevie, says: Stevie’s tenacity, hard work and altruism mean she has had a profound impact on the community for many years.

You can vote for women in the four other regions too by clicking on these links:

1. Scotland and Northern Ireland
2. North East, North West and Yorkshire
3. Wales and West Midlands
4. South West and South East

Votes close on the 31st of July 2020.