March’s Sales Fundraising Stars: Women In Business Special ⭐
To mark International Women's Day and Women's History Month, our March Sales Fundraising Stars celebrates four businesswomen who have made a positive impact that goes beyond the work they do.
This includes Sandy Powell OBE and Chiara Menage whose celebrated vintage clothing store has raised significant funds to help survivors of domestic abuse, to Michelle Ovens CBE, who for overa decadee has been a leader in the world of small business.
⭐ Michelle Ovens CBE, Small Business Britain and Small Business Saturday UK
Michelle Ovens, Founder of Small Business Britain and Small Business Saturday UK
Small businesses often stand out as community heroes going above and beyond to help vulnerable groups and charities. With customers increasingly keen to support small businesses that are making a positive impact on the world around them, there’s a huge opportunity for small businesses and charities to come together to boost this impact.”
- Michelle Ovens
Michelle and the team at Small Business Britain are there to support and champion the UK's incredible business community, across all sectors and locations, enabling them to accelerate their work.
Small Business Britain is a huge advocate for charity work and regularly fundraises through its sales. In 2022, an incredible £5,000 was donated to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) to support Ukraine after the Russian invasion. Other charities they have donated to via Work for Good include Refuge and Shelter.
As well as this, Michelle and the team influence the small businesses they work with to fundraise for charity through their own sales. Other social and environmental programmes in place include campaigns that celebrate the achievements of diverse entrepreneurs, and a programme to encourage businesses to reach net zero.
Small Business Britain knows that the UK’s small businesses are a force for good, with the power to make a major positive impact to our economy, communities and broader society!
⭐ Janey Holliday, Mindset and Motivation Coach
The positive ripple effect of this benefits everyone. I love the idea that I don’t only get to help my paying clients change their lives. But together, we are also making a difference to other women too."
- Janey Holliday, Mindset, Life Management and Small Business Coach.
Janey Holliday believes that anyone can change their story, and that anything is possible with the right approach, environment and support. She has been working with women for over 22 years, first in the health and fitness industry, and now as a Mindset, Life Management and Small Business Coach.
Her mission is to help as many women as possible build a long-lasting mind and life tool kit. Supporting women is at the core of everything she does; she wants her clients to thrive, be courageous, create an authentic life, and feel really good about themselves.
As a single mum who has experienced domestic and narcissistic abuse herself, Janey knows how difficult it is to break away from these issues. She also knows the challenge of finding renewed strength to rebuild yourself afterwards. This is why Janey supports the charity Women’s Aid through Work for Good. She currently donates 5% of her One Life Hub and Club subscriptions and individual programme bookings to the charity.
⭐ Chiara Menage and Sandy Powell OBE - Menage Modern Vintage
Pictured - Chiara Menage
Lockdown forced me to spend time at home. I realised I was fortunate to be in a secure position to both enjoy and benefit from this. At the same time, I was becoming aware of the rise in cases of domestic abuse, and how awful it must be to be trapped at home.”
- Sandy Powell OBE, Costume Designer.
Chiara Menage, is the founder of Menage Modern Vintage, a treasure trove of vintage clothing loved by the editors of Vogue, and which has also supplied clothes for stage and screen including Netflix series, The Crown.
Championing sustainability through her business is of course key to Chiara but after Covid drove people indoors, her business began to help women impacted by domestic abuse.
She proudly partnered with the legendary Costume Designer Sandy Powell OBE, who had decided to use the many clothes she’d accumulated over the years to raise money to help.
Alongside Chiara, they decided to use the platform of Menage Modern Vintage to raise funds and donate all proceeds of their sales to help tackle domestic abuse. They chose Refuge as the best way to help people in those terrifying situations, and since 2020 have been raising money for the charity.
⭐ Laura Hannan, Co-Founder of Pitch 121.
Charity giving isn't just for Christmas. Through regular giving throughout the year, all our clients and team members get to choose the causes that are meaningful to them.”
- Laura Hannan
Laura Hannan is a champion of encouraging others to use their businesses for good.
When the earthquake in Turkey and Syria hit, she took to LinkedIn and urged people to use their businesses to fundraise for charities on the ground including the British Red Cross and the DEC.
For years, Laura - a marketing and LinkedIn expert - has ensured that clients and her teams give to charity. Through both of her businesses, Kaihoko and Pitch 121, they have raised an astounding £45,000 for a range of charities including Cool Earth, Crisis and Battersea Dogs & Cat Home.
