Northamptonshire's Lewis Foundation charity is a winner at Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2022

The founders of a county charity were crowned ‘exceptional leaders’ at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2022 Grand Final.

The Lewis Foundation’s Lorraine and Lee Lewis saw off thousands of applicants to win the one of the most highly acclaimed categories - Entrepreneur for Good Award.

The charity, which provides free gifts to adult cancer patients across 15 hospitals in the Midlands, was selected out of more than 5,300 business and charity leaders from across the UK, and was praised by the judges for having gifted 75,000 support packs since it began in 2016.

They were also given credit for being a forward-thinking organisation that is finding innovative ways to meet the needs of patients undergoing treatment, and for how they go above and beyond to advocate for the wider charity sector with their motivational and awareness-raising talks in schools and community groups.

Lorraine Lewis, CEO of The Lewis Foundation said: “We honestly can’t believe it. This is one of the most prestigious accolades, and an incredible achievement for our charity with the work we do to bring comfort and happiness to adults undergoing cancer treatment.

“We were up against some really worthwhile causes and the number of entries this year was just astonishing.

"We are having to think outside the box and innovate to be able to continue to make a difference, and have had one of our most successful years despite all the financial and political challenges we continue to face.

"It has not been easy, but gaining national recognition like this showcases just how important it is to keep pushing forward towards helping more people.”

More than 1,400 entrepreneurs attended the Great British Entrepreneur Awards ceremony at Grosvenor House in London on November 21, held in partnership with Starling Bank.

Lorraine and Lee are now part of a series of inspiring entrepreneurial success stories recognised over the past 10 years, including Alan and Juliet Barratt of Grenade, Shaun Pulfrey of Tangle Teezer and Diary of a CEO host Steven Bartlett.

Great British Entrepreneur Awards founder Francesca James said: “The extraordinary circumstances of the last few years have tested the resilience of our business communities, and the challenges were enough to give many entrepreneurs an excuse to give up.

"Instead, our award winners did the opposite and, through ingenuity, innovation and the ability to adapt, they thrived.

“These challenges certainly haven’t gone away, and the next few years will present new obstacles to overcome - but one only needed to look around the room at our tenth anniversary to see some of the truly special founders and doers, to gain confidence that this snapshot of the economy can go on and adapt again.

“We’d like to congratulate all of our 2022 winners for all of their hard work and achievements - we look forward to following your lead into 2023 and beyond!”

For more information on The Lewis foundation, visit: www.thelewisfoundation.co.uk.