Beauty Works' Penelope Cheshire shortlisted for prestigious UK award

1 of the world's most successful beauty brands, Beauty Works, is celebrating after its Managing Director, Penelope Cheshire, was shortlisted for a prestigious British award.

The finalists for The Best Business Women Awards were announced last week, a particular cause for celebration given the turbulence faced by so many businesses this year during the Covid19 crisis. A finalist in the Best Business Woman in Hair & Beauty category, Penelope finds herself in good company, with some of the most talented British businesswomen all vying to take the top spot across 19 categories. The results will be announced in April 2021.

Despite the obvious challenges, it was been an extraordinary year for female business leader, Penelope, whose Cheadle based multi million pound company was founded in 2010. She has steered its fortunes expertly to become a widely recognised global brand.

Beauty Works is now the leading supplier of high quality hair extensions in more than 180 countries with turnover in 2020 set to break all records. And, unsurprisingly, these accomplishments have been recognised this year, with Penelope winning at the Global Excellence Awards in the Outstanding Entrepreneur category, and again, at the Best Business Awards, where she received the accolade for Outstanding Female Entrepreneur.

In addition to honouring Penelope's business achievements, both awards acknowledged her exceptional contribution and commitment to creating rewarding employment in the North West, and her philanthropic work in support of, amongst others, Hideout Youth Zone, a charity that helps underprivileged children in Manchester. As a Founder Patron, she is donating her time, and ₤25,000 annually for the next 4 years. The organisation provides young people aged 8 to 19 with somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to.

Penelope remains a passionate and vocal champion for men's and women's rights to wear hair pieces without fear of judgement or embarrassment, particularly important for those suffering from illness related hair loss and cancer.

Penelope's numerous accomplishments have been touched on by countless business and industry leaders over the past decade. For example, Chiara Pettinicchio at Deloitte LLP says:- "Beauty Works has continued to work tirelessly to raise the standards in the industry and improve professionalism across the board. This has been celebrated and recognised through them securing success at many business awards, including the Marie Claire Hair Awards and the Hair Awards. The industry has acknowledged the strength of their offering and their international impact and influence."

Debbie Gilbert, organiser of The Best Business Women Awards has revealed that this year's finalists demonstrate how many talented and dedicated female entrepreneurs there are in the UK, many of whom juggle their business around the needs of their families. "This is the 6th year of these prestigious awards. Given the situation with Covid19, we were delighted with the number of entries. To be a finalist is a major achievement. The businesswomen selected have been chosen for their business acumen, determination, creativity and tenacity. All are shining examples of successful entrepreneurs." explains Ms Gilbert.

Beauty Works' Operations Manager, Martin Williams said:- "Penelope is a hugely committed and talented entrepreneur who, over the past decade, has positively made her mark on the industry and become an inspiration to everyone around her. We are delighted that Penelope's continuing efforts are being recognised on a wider level and that she takes her place as a Best Business Women finalist alongside some of the UK's finest and most successful female leaders."

MILLIONS of drivers will be battling to book their MOT test from this week, as garages face a 6 month backlog from the Coronavirus lockdown. That's according to new research from Confused.com, which found that 29% of drivers; that's equivalent to nearly 12 million cars; will have been eligible for the MOT holiday. Of these, nearly 37% or 4 million; drivers made use of the extension, meaning they had to book their car in for an MOT within the next couple of months.

The MOT holiday granted by the Government meant that any car due its MOT between the end of March and the beginning of August was eligible for a 6 month extension.  More than 22% UK drivers who weren't eligible for the MOT extension already have their MOT scheduled before the end of the year; that equates to 9 million tests that will be carried out. However, an additional 1 million more drivers are now also due to take their car for an MOT, in October alone, on top of the 3.6 million tests already due this month.

Garages and MOT test centres will be under pressure to fulfil these tests, as well as all the other tests that also fall due within the same time period. Drivers who aren't booking ahead of time could risk letting their MOT certificate become invalid if they can't find a slot quickly enough.

Driving without a valid MOT carries a penalty of up to ₤1,000 and could invalidate a car insurance policy. Worryingly, 12% UK drivers have driven without a valid MOT in the past. Of these, the majority (64%) had forgotten the due date. 17% drivers don't typically receive reminders of the upcoming test, leaving them more at risk of driving without a valid MOT certificate. To help drivers avoid this risk, Confused.com has set up an MOT renewal reminder on the Confused.com app.

With MOT tests now more in demand, drivers should be looking to prepare their car before it goes in to the garage to increase the chances of passing 1st time. But worryingly, 29% drivers don't check over their car before it goes into for its MOT, leaving them more at risk of finding issues. This means motorists could be paying out whatever is necessary to get the job done.

However, the research also shows that just 10% drivers are confused about what they can do to prepare their car for an MOT. To clear this confusion and help drivers increase their chances of passing their MOT test, Confused.com has created a checklist to keeping a car roadworthy. According to the expert advice, there are a number of checks that a driver should carry out before heading to the garage, including:- checking the lights, registration plate, wheels and tyres. They're all quick and easy to check and to fix, but if ignored they could lead to a failed MOT.

According to data from the DVSA, bald or defective tyres accounted for the most 'dangerous' faults between April and September 2019. Driving on bald or defective tyres seriously compromises the safety of the car which can ultimately lead to an accident. Not only that, it could also lead to a ₤2,500 fine per tyre. This means a full sent of baldies could lead to a whopping ₤10,000 fine. 12% UK drivers have knowingly driven on a bald tyre, with one in four (25%) being involved in an accident. To help drivers avoid this risk, Confused.com has created a 'how to' guide to checking tyre pressure and depth. Worryingly, 31% of drivers will only check their tyres every couple of months. More than 1 in 7 admit they've never checked their tyres at all.

With garages under pressure to fulfil MOT tests in the coming months, checking over some of the basic areas could help drivers avoid the lengthy wait to book in for a 2nd test. It will also put drivers in control of how much they pay for repairs, without paying a potentially premium price for convenience.

Alex Kindred, car insurance expert at Confused.com, says:- "The MOT holiday was a great way to help drivers keep their car on the road during lockdown, without the risk of invalidating their insurance. However, with so many people making use of the holiday, there will be a lot of pressure on garages now to keep up with the tests. Make sure you're booking with plenty of time so you don't risk driving without a valid MOT. Carrying out a few checks on the car will increase your chance of passing without any issues. If you're confused about how you can do this, we've created a checklist to keeping your car roadworthy."