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INSPIRATIONAL: Doreen Lawrence

DOREEN LAWRENCE is to be honoured with the first Brilliant Woman award given exclusively to the country’s most inspirational women.

Social enterprise and women’s network, Brilliant Women will present Lawrence with a trophy in its first annual award ceremony on June 19.

A Brilliant Women spokesperson said that Lawrence was chosen as their first recipient because “Lawrence optimises the strength of a Brilliant Woman, quietly resilient whilst exhibiting a tenacious strength of spirit and fortitude.”

Brilliant Women was set up in 2003 with the aim of recognising and commending women from all over the country who “on the outside looks very ordinary but her work and her actions have been quite extraordinary,” the spokesperson said.

The network also holds a number of workshops and events with the aim of inspiring and promoting confidence in women.

Additional categories, Brilliant Teen and Brilliant Elder will be introduced to the 2013 Brilliant Women award ceremony.

This year’s event, which is to be held at digital agency, LBi in central London, will also feature a community discussion addressing parenting relationship issues in which Lawrence is a keynote speaker.

Meave Darroux, operations director of Brilliant Women who is encouraging everyone including parents and business owners to come along and get involved in the discussion, said: “Women are often the catalyst for change in the family, society and the workplace. Hence, much of our work starts with women.”

She continued: “Unlike other women’s networks, we have made social responsibility intrinsic in its formation and therefore by inviting brilliant teens and brilliant elders to our larger events, we have taken a tiny step in bringing the generations together and reaching out and empowering the wider community.”

GONG: Doreen Lawrence's Brilliant Award

In a statement, Doreen Lawrence said: "Young people are extremely impressionable and easily influenced by their environment, therefore it is important they have positive role models.

“This starts with parents who have a responsibility to set a good example in all that they do as their children grow up. As a society we need to ensure that young people have external role models and not just in the in areas of football, music or the media.

“They need to see role models in the areas of law, engineering and other high end employment arenas and society needs to put things in place that give them the opportunity to aspire and make their dreams come true."

For more information and tickets visit: http://www.brilliantwomen.org/events.php