News: Jackie Freeborn wins Rotherham Athena Award

Jackie Freeborn, chief executive of Business & Education South Yorkshire in Rotherham, has been named as the recipient of this year's Rotherham Athena Award, which recognises the achievements of women from all walks of life who are fulfilling leadership roles and supporting other women to do the same.

A former area manager and deputy regional director of Business in the Community, Jackie took on her current role in 2007.

Jackie and her team work with more than 8,000 businesses to provide young people across South Yorkshire with inspiring opportunities to enable them to understand and experience the world of work – equating to around 6,000 opportunities for young people in Rotherham each year.

Rotherham is the only place in the UK to be affiliated to the Athena International Programme, the main aim of which is to secure a balance in leadership worldwide. It began life in the United States in the early 1980s and now extends across the world.

The license for the Rotherham Athena Award 2011 is held by Rotherham Borough Council, on behalf of Rotherham Partnership, which brings together representatives from the public, private, voluntary and community sectors to address local issues and improve life for local residents.

The judging panel comprised Brian Chapple, Chair of Rotherham Partnership; Joanna Jones, Rotherham Women's Network Co-ordinator; Jessica Zeun, Chair of Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber's Women in Business Group, and Joyce Thacker, Rotherham Borough Council's Strategic Director of Children and Young People's Services.

B&ESY website

Images: Shaun Flannery