Zainab Goreja | Student
Victoria Knowles-Lacks | The Shotgun & Chelsea Bun Club
Victoria Knowles-Lacks is 33 and lives on the Worcestershire/Shropshire Border with her husband Keiran and Lakeland Terrier, Rocket.
Victoria, who has been named the ‘Pioneer’ of the clay shooting industry is on a mission to get as many ladies as she possibly can involved in the sport of clay shooting, whilst empowering women and instilling support and confidence. She has created a sisterhood of loyal, go getting ladies who all share a common love, clay shooting and the Countryside.
Getting increasingly despondent in her role in property and day dreaming about being out in the field, Victoria one day decided enough was enough and handed in her notice. With nothing in the way of savings, she threw caution in to the wind and left, with a big dream to set up a really fun and inclusive ladies only clay shooting club, that would get women out supporting each other, being out in the Countryside and just having some 'me' time.
The Shotgun & Chelsea Bun Club was formed in September 2011 and is now the largest ladies clay shooting club in Europe. The Club holds in excess of 100 events Nationally, where women from all age groups and backgrounds are welcome. Their days are really social and are a really fun introduction in to clay shooting, where ladies learn to clay shoot, with qualified coaching, and then finish off the day with homemade cakes, served in gorgeous old vintage china. The Club has gained a National following, including with big name organisations and in the National press. Victoria has been named one of the top 5 most influential people in shooting, she and her club have won numerous awards.
Since it’s formation the Club has welcomed some 10,000+ ladies into the sport. They run a National calendar of events, training days, alongside their socials and their game changing National Ladies’ Shooting Day, which is being held on 10th June and will see well in excess of 1,000 ladies taking aim and getting involved!
Victoria’s plans for the future are ‘to keep on going! To keep doing what we’re doing and grow – hopefully taking it Global!’
Charlotte Richardson | K-Sports Cobdown
Whilst studying English Literature at King’s College London I edited the Student Union paper Roar! and volunteered as Media Manager of Gillingham Ladies FC. I grew both team’s profiles and drove a strategy to professionalise both organisations. In regard to Gillingham Ladies, I secured a formal relationship with Gillingham FC, facilitating players playing home games at a professional stadium and no longer paying to play.
On graduation, I worked as Head of Media at my Student Union alongside the Gillingham role developing my skills in marketing and media. After a three-month internship at Peabody, I secured the role of Marketing and Communications Officer at the Kent Football Association.
Balancing paid and volunteering roles, I helped drive the grassroots game and association’s strategy to invest, grow and govern Kent football. I led Kent FA’s marketing and communications strategy, growing its brand and commercial value, securing their largest sponsorship deal.
Headhunted by Gillingham FC, as Head of Marketing and Communications, I undertook a range of responsibilities supporting the club’s entire player pathway structure. I brought a more innovative approach to fan engagement and PR, launching a new sub-brand for the club’s commercial and corporate operations whilst there too.
Following this, I joined the charity Women in Sport. Another varied role helping transform sport for the benefit of every woman and girl in the UK.
In 2016, I founded the Eighth Wonder programme to create football’s future female leaders, targeting 14-20-year-olds. My first cohort ’graduate’ this summer.
I now work at Women in Sport part time alongside being Head of Marketing and Communications at K Sports Cobdown, a 2.8-acre multi-sport facility in Kent. I sit on the Kent Youth League Committee, Kent FA Equality Advisory Group, contribute to Offside Rule Pod and BBC Radio Kent. I also volunteered at the Rugby World Cup, England Netball Quad Series and hope to do so again at the upcoming London 2017 Athletics Championships.
Charlene Hutsebaut | Positively Slim
Charlene Hutsebaut B.P.E., B.Ed., CSCS is a personal trainer, corporate speaker, writer and brand ambassador with over 15,000 client hours and 26 years of experience in the health and fitness industry.
Charlene is a sought after speaker and personal trainer in both the private and fitness sectors because of her wealth of knowledge, experience and genuine personality. Each week finds her coaching one to one clients and creating and delivering corporate wellness and fitness initiatives and talks for larger groups.
She has degrees in Physical Education and Education and is certified with the NSCA, FAI and Stott Pilates. Her strengths and passions lie in rehabilitation, biomechanics and anatomy. She has worked at the prestigious and award winning Medical Fitness, Kinsmen Rehfit Centre in Canada.
She runs her own Personal Training Consultancy in London at the exclusive St. Pancras Hotel Spa. She has been Brand Ambassador and consultant for Huggies Diapers, Simply Great Drinks, online food company healthysupplies.co.uk, the books The De-Stress Diet & The De-Stress Effect, Long Tall Sally and Siemens. She is featured in Covet London, A Guide to Female Entrepreneurs and How to Hygge.
Charlene is a regular columnist for The Huffington Post UK, Psychologies Magazine Life Labs & Passport – Monarch Airlines in-flight magazine.
She has also written for UK FitPro, Can FitPro, Fitness Life New Zealand, Total Sports Nutrition, Functional Sports Nutrition, Bodyfit and has been featured in London, Fabric, Grove, Woman, Natural Health magazines, as well as The Daily Mail and Express.
Lauren Dobson | Hexham Racecourse
Rhia O'Reilly | Professional Wrestler
Kare Adenegan | British Paralympic Association