Start up businesses win share of £3,000 prize pot

The Local Enterprise and Apprenticeship Platform (LEAP) awards are funded by Lewes District Council to award 'exciting' new ventures.

Sussex Lavender, founded by Hannah Dawson and producing 'land to hand' eco-contemporary products, won £2500.

£500 was awarded to Red in The Spectrum, founded by Janine Booth and delivering training in neurodiversity.

Councillor Zoe Nicholson, Leader of Lewes District Council, said: "I was delighted to present Hannah and Janine with their awards.

"Hannah has established a small business that enables learning, training and amazing local lavender products to be produced in harmony with the land that she works on.

"And Janine's story is so inspiring. After completing more than twenty-six years' service on London Underground and discovering she was autistic, the diagnosis motivated her to create Red in The Spectrum."

Janine started training trade unions to enable them to more effectively organise and represent neurodivergent workers and has since expanded to training railway companies, barristers' chambers, non-profit and public sector organisations.