THE owner of a timber yard, which repurposes tropical hardwoods for future use, has been honoured with a national award on International Women's Day. 

Janine Davies-Tutt has been named as one of 15 winners of NatWest’s #BeTheRoleModel competition for her three decades of work with Ashwells Reclaimed Timber in Essex. 

Through the reclamation and repurposing of FSC certified tropical timber and temperate British hardwoods, Janine, chosen from 3,000 entries, turns the wood into bespoke pieces for major projects across the UK, including hotel and restaurant chains, the Chelsea Flower Show, Hampton Court, The Eden Project and London Zoo. 

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Janine said: “I’m incredibly excited to have been chosen as one of 15 winners in NatWest’s female entrepreneur competition.  

"Reclamation and construction remain heavily dominated male industries. I hope that by sharing my story of Ashwells Timber we’ll help demonstrate the diversity of female-led businesses in the UK and encourage more women to smash stereotypes and believe that they can make it as business owners. 

"Role models are the key to encouraging more women to start up in business, and my advice to women considering running their own business would be to find your voice.” 

Margaret Jobling, chief marketing officer at NatWest, said: “Every entrant had a brilliant story to tell about why their business was extraordinary, and we saw a real breadth of sectors and industries taking part.

Forestry Journal:

"Arriving at our winners was a really tough process, but we’re so excited to partner with these 15 businesses to create impactful ads that will help their brands thrive, as well as offering them support and expertise through our Enterprise programme to help them take their business to the next level. Congratulations to all our winners.”