A MUM from a village in Hampshire is one of 38 female entrepreneurs to have won a prestigious national award and secure £50,000 government backing.

Amy Langfield, from Crookham Village, is also one of just seven trailblazing female entrepreneurs from the south east who have been recognised by Innovate UK in its Women in Innovation Awards.

The awards were given out for the women's game-changing innovations which are tackling some of society’s biggest challenges.

The announcement was made on Tuesday, March 8, which is also International Women’s Day.

Amy set up Grow with Iris, an alternative formula and range of follow-on drinks for infant and toddlers.

The 41-year-old was inspired by her daughter's allergies to create vegan-friendly formula, which is is the first drink made from pea protein. It also comes in a fully recyclable pouch.

The flagship Women in Innovation Awards is part of Innovate UK’s commitment to boosting the number of UK female entrepreneurs.

Emily Nott, head of equality, diversity and inclusion at Innovate UK said: “It has continued to be a challenging year of uncertainty but these pioneering, resilient women inspire us to dream big and make an impact despite the difficulties we face. Innovate UK will work alongside these winners to ensure they have the resources and support required to turn their innovative ideas and aspirations into a reality, while encouraging a new generation of women to come forward and pursue their ambitions.”

Indro Mukerjee, CEO of Innovate UK, said: “We have an incredible opportunity to make a real difference to the talent and skills pipeline for UK business innovation by inspiring, involving and investing in greater diversity. With practical actions like our Women in Innovation programme, we can help make a real difference to developing the successful innovators and businesses of the future.”

Also picking up awards were:

• Kerryne Krause (48), from Southampton, founder of CryoMED, who has created an innovative skin patch with Hypochlorous Acid to help treat patients suffering with slow healing or chronic skin wounds like leg ulcers more effectively, both in hospitals and at home.

• Carolina Avellaneda (47), from Worthing, co-founder of BubbleLife, who has developed a biodegradable alternative to plastic packaged liquid soaps, shower and bath products. All products are cruelty-free, vegan and organic and contain no palm oil or SLS.

• Anna Vartapetiance (38), from Guildford, who has co-founded Securium, a "Tech for Good" company developing innovative products to safeguard businesses and individuals, especially children, by detecting and preventing online harm, from online grooming to fake news and hate speech.

• Savannah de Savary (30), from Guildford, Founder and CEO of Build-ID, who has developed a digital engagement platform that enables diverse audiences - from young people to local communities to constructively influence local renewable energy projects.

• Leslie Gaston-Bird (52), from Brighton, who is training women and underrepresented groups with the technical skills to create immersive, 3D sound content through her company, Mixed Messiah Studios, with an ambition to encourage more diversity in this growing sector.

• Claire Barnett, from Aylesbury, founder of UN Women UK, who is creating immersive training to change behaviour around sexual harassment and violence in public spaces.

For more go to ktn-uk.org/programme/women-in-innovation/.

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