Coffins crafted from willow on the East Devon border have earned their creator a top award.
Mother of two Sophia Campbell picked up silver at the Best Businesswoman Awards 2021 during a ceremony in London.
The competition aims to find the very best female business talent from across the UK and internationally.
Sophia’s company, Woven Farewell Coffins, was chosen because of its contribution to the momentum of sustainable funerals.
All of the winners were selected by a panel of business experts who judged the entrants on their flair for entrepreneurship, tenacity, and determination.
The gala final black-tie dinner was held at the Hilton Wembley, an event Sophia attended with her 10-month-old son Idris on her back!
She said: “The awards were great fun although I was the only woman out of around 350 there to have a baby with me, which drew a lot of comments.
“I’m delighted to have been awarded silver in the Best Product category. I’m passionate about helping broaden authentically sustainable opportunities within funerals and supporting families to have more involvement with the funeral process.
“This involvement is particularly important in the wake of the pandemic when options and opportunities were much more restricted.
Sophia, who lives between Hawkchurch and Wootton Fitzpaine, added: “As a young businesswoman within the funeral industry, I feel honoured to have been recognised and celebrated in this way. ”
Debbie Gilbert, the organiser of The Best Businesswomen Awards, said: "This is a tough competition judged by business experts. Our winners are shining examples of outstanding entrepreneurs who have proved their success to our judges and have shown they have the ingredients worthy of being recognised and rewarded.”
Sophia, who also has a three-year-old daughter called Ava, trained in organic farming at Trill farm in Axminster and has been making coffins from willow for the past three years.
She currently produces 25 a year and such is the success of her business that she is soon planning to take on her first member of staff.
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