Celebrating Excellence, Empowerment and Community at Annual Awards 2026
Ayrshire Business Women (ABW) proudly celebrated the achievements of female-led businesses from across the region at its Annual Awards Ceremony and Afternoon Tea, held at the stunning Rowallan Castle in Kilmaurs on Thursday 10th September.
Bringing together members, guests, sponsors, judges and supporters, the event was a celebration of empowerment, advocacy, entrepreneurship and community spirit. Set against the backdrop of one of Ayrshire’s most beautiful venues, the afternoon recognised women who are making a significant contribution to the local economy while supporting and inspiring those around them.
Founded in 1994, Ayrshire Business Women’s mission remains as relevant today as it was 30 years ago – to support women in business through connection, advocacy, collaboration and encouragement. The organisation now has over 100 members from across Ayrshire.
Following a tour of the spectacular castle, guests were welcomed by ABW President Lisa Nairn. The afternoon got underway with a key update from charity partner Honeypot Children’s Charity Scotland, followed by guest speaker Susan Perry, speaker coach and storytelling specialist, before enjoying a beautiful afternoon tea. The day rounded off with the presentation of this year’s awards.
A Key Update from ABW’s Charity Partner
ABW is proud to support Honeypot Children’s Charity Scotland as their Charity Partner of the Year. Honeypot provides respite breaks, learning opportunities and ongoing support for young carers across Scotland, from its Scottish centre in Dalleagles, New Cumnock.
Through ticket sales, donations and member fundraising, the annual awards event raised an outstanding £1,176.50 for the charity.
Presenting Without Performance
Susan Perry’s thought-provoking keynote, ‘Presenting Without Performance’, encouraged attendees to communicate with greater authenticity, purpose and impact by focusing on intent rather than content, and making sure guests left with something powerful to remember.
Annual Awards Presentation
Once again, this year all award applications were independently judged ensuring a fair and objective process, recognising excellence across four competitive categories. The guest judges selected for the 2026 awards came from diverse business backgrounds, providing valuable perspective throughout the selection process.
The winners and highly commended recipients were:
Customer Excellence Award
Judge: Julie Palmer
Head of Client Services at Strand
Winner: Ayr Holiday Apartments
Lisbeth Kirsop
Highly Commended: Julie Bennett
Brilliant Travel- Julie Bennett
Most Enterprising Business Award
Judge: Joyce White OBE,
founder of Peak Potential
Winner: Jewel Room
Denise MacDougall
Business for Good Award
Judge: Kirste Johnston
Strategic Client Director at MLL Telecom
Winner: The Way Forward 2045
Wendy White-Finnigan
Highly Commended: The Bettii Pod
Elaine Galston
Most Promising Start-Up Award
Judge: Claire Baird
CEO of Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce
Winner: Gem of Knowledge
Carly Diamond
Highly Commended: Arena HR Academy
Laura Rennie
The ABW Committee also presented the Spirit of ABW Award, which is not presented every year and is reserved for an individual who consistently embodies the values of the organisation through service, encouragement, leadership and unwavering support of others. This year’s recipient was recognised for her outstanding contribution to ABW and the wider community.
Spirit of ABW Award
Recipient: Isabel McNicoll
The Business Timesaver
A huge congratulations to all the finalists, highly commended and winners from this year’s awards.
A Moment of Reflection
The event was attended by a number of distinguished guests, including Claire Leitch, Provost of East Ayrshire, representatives from local organisations, and Ailsa Stinson, President of the Association of Scottish Businesswomen (ASB), highlighting the strong connections across our business community, helping to promote Ayrshire’s businesses across Scotland.
Lisa Nairn, ABW’s President, said: “One of the most important parts of this awards programme is the reminder it gives our members of just how fantastic they are – even when they don’t always see it themselves. Many women who weren’t sure whether they had ‘an award‑worthy business’ joined us on the day as finalists. That is the power of this community – lifting women up, encouraging them to step forward, and helping them recognise the brilliance they already hold.”
Claire Leitch, Provost of East Ayrshire said of the event: “I had such a lovely afternoon celebrating some of the amazing women we have in business across Ayrshire at the Ayrshire Business Women Annual Awards. It’s so important that we celebrate women doing well and following their ambitions. Every woman who, at times, goes against the odds, takes the chance to go for it, builds something of her own or succeeds in her chosen field is showing the next generation of girls and women what could be possible for them too.”
Acknowledgements
ABW extends its sincere thank you to everyone who contributed to making the event such a success, including:
- Ayrshire Magazine: Headline Sponsor
- Weir’s Home Fragrance A Scents of Scotland: Gift Sponsor
- Honeypot Children’s Charity Charity Partner
- Guest Judges: Kirste Johnston (lead judge), Julie Palmer, Joyce White OBE and Claire Baird
- Rowallan Castle Estate: Venue Partner
- KSG Photography: Official Event Photographer
- Cupcake Bouquets by Diane: Supplier for guest favours
- Susan Perry: Guest Speaker
- ABW Committee: For the many volunteer hours invested in organising the event
For more information about Ayrshire Business Women, upcoming events, or membership opportunities, visit www.abw.org.uk.
Honeypot Children’s Charity is registered in Scotland – SC052213.
For more information visit
www.honeypot.org.uk/scotland.
