Immediate: April 23, 2008
Picture caption:
Pam Neal with the engraved crystal bowl she received at a reception in London on Tuesday for winners of The Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion 2008.
An inspirational woman who has helped around 200 graduates to start businesses in North Wales over the past five years has won The Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion 2008.
Pam Neal, 57, who lives near Denbigh, is the only Welsh winner amongst the nine recipients of this year's prestigious award, which celebrates and recognises the activities of individuals who have played an outstanding and significant role in promoting enterprise skills and attitudes in others in the UK.
The awards were announced on Monday to coincide with the Queen's birthday and Mrs Neal will be invited to a reception at Buckingham Palace in July.
Mrs Neal has developed a reputation which sets her apart from her peers in providing mentoring support people in North Wales. In the last five years, she has mentored over 400 individuals for the Welsh Assembly Government's g2e business start up programme, half of whom have gone on to start successful companies.
Although she is paid by Newport based CODA Business Management Ltd as a g2e mentor and workshop facilitator, half of her mentoring activity is provided on a voluntary basis.
She also helps educational institutions, with which she works, to develop, establish and manage enterprise training programmes and is seen as a role model by peers and managers alike.
Mrs Neal focuses on young people, often from disadvantaged backgrounds.
She was nominated for the award by Bethan Jones, CODA Business Management Ltd's g2e Mid and North Wales programme manager. "I was absolutely thrilled and really touched that Bethan had gone to the trouble of nominating me," she said.
"I have to thank my clients because they are the ones that have helped me win this award. Mentoring graduates and businesses brings plenty of variety and stimulation to my work.
"I just have this fascination for business. When someone goes self-employed and starts up their own business they are following their dream and I tend to share their passion. I am a really positive person and never look upon things as problems, rather as things to learn from and experiences to go through."
Having started her career working for the likes of Marks and Spencer and Cadbury Schweppes, she moved to Wales 23 years ago to have the first of her three children. She helped her husband set up a furniture restoration business and also ran a bed and breakfast business before managing holiday cottages. She returned to full time work with a management consultancy business in North Wales in the 1990s and joined CODA Business Management Ltd five years ago.
Explaining why she had nominated Mrs Neal for the award, Bethan Jones said: "I think Pam is a brilliant mentor. She is so enthusiastic and positive whilst also being realistic. She relates so well to all types of people of all ages and backgrounds and has brilliant business experience to share."
