Press release: OOSA in national business awards

OOSA founders reach finals of national business awards


The founders of the Out of School Alliance, Clare Freeman and Catherine Wrench, have earned themselves a place in the final lineup of The Mumpreneur Awards, an annual ceremony aimed at celebrating parents throughout the UK who manage the difficult task of juggling business with family life.

Friends and neighbours in their small Cambridgeshire village, Catherine and Clare have five children between them and also run the Out of School Alliance (OOSA), a national support organisation for providers of out of school clubs. They launched OOSA after discovering a need for advice and information specifically catering for people who are setting up or running breakfast clubs, after-school clubs and holiday clubs for children.

Clare and Catherine have been shortlisted for the Best Supporting Business Award, sponsored by 123-reg, which is open to businesses who provide an accessible support system to others. Having launched OOSA in September 2009 and provided support to hundreds of out of school clubs across the UK, the pair hope they have what it takes to walk away with the prize.

As well as being shortlisted for this category, they are also in with a chance of winning the title of The Inspirational Business Mum 2011, sponsored by Intuit, which will be awarded to the mum who is an inspiration to all women in business, and could walk away with a fantastic prize package including a family holiday at Haulfryn's Devon Hills.

Having reached the finals of The Mumpreneur Awards, Catherine said "We are thrilled to have been recognised for our achievements in supporting those providing out of school care, especially as this has tradionally been a much overlooked sector, and we're really excited to find out whether we've won the award!"

Judging Catherine and Clare's entry will be a panel of top entrepreneurs including BBC Dragon, Duncan Bannatyne, but they'll have to wait until 25th September, when the winners will be announced at The Mumpreneur Conference, sponsored by Yell and DHL Express, being held at the Heart of England Conference Centre in Warwickshire. This event is open to all parents who juggle family and business, and also for those interested in taking the plunge and starting up.

11 August 2011