A Newton Abbot charity is celebrating after its right-hand man won a Women in Business Award.

Derek Weeks from Wellbeing In Action won the Supporting Act of the Year Award at the Devon Women In Business Awards, which were held at Sandy Park in Exeter last month.

The award recognises that ‘behind every great businesswoman, there’s often a team helping her to succeed’ and it rewards ‘an individual of any gender who goes above and beyond to support a woman in business in Devon’.

Wellbeing in Action said the charity would not exist as it is today without Derek, describing him as ‘a stalwart support in the background’.

As well as his support for day-to-day operations, ranging from fixing and delivering equipment to ‘dancing with elderly ladies at lunch buddy clubs’, Derek has run hundreds of miles to raise money and awareness for the charity.

Lesley Austin from Dartmoor Reach Alpaca and Glamping Farm near Bovey Tracey was highly commended in the Supporting Act of the Year award.

Lesley Austin from Dartmoor Reach Alpaca and Glamping Farm was Highly Commended in the Devon Women In Business Supporting Act of the Year Award. Photo: Poppy Jakes.
Lesley Austin from Dartmoor Reach Alpaca and Glamping Farm was Highly Commended in the Devon Women In Business Supporting Act of the Year Award. Photo: Poppy Jakes. (Poppy Jakes)

Two other Teignbridge businesses were recognised in the 2025 Devon Women in Business Awards.

Kirsty Dimond from Signed & Sorted Estate Planning was highly commended in the Devon Women in Business Female Start Up of the Year Award. (Photo: Poppy Jakes)
Kirsty Dimond from Signed & Sorted Estate Planning was highly commended in the Devon Women in Business Female Start Up of the Year Award. (Photo: Poppy Jakes) (Poppy Jakes)

Kirsty Dimond from Newton Abbot-based Signed & Sorted Estate Planning was highly commended in the Female Start-Up of the Year award and Kira Pitt and Sarah Bancroft from SNK Hair and Beauty in Newton Abbot were highly commended in the Female-Led Small Business of the Year award.

SNK Hair and Beauty's Kira Pitt and Sarah Bancroft were highly commended in the Devon Women in Business Female Led Small Business of the Year Award. Photo: Poppy Jakes
SNK Hair and Beauty's Kira Pitt and Sarah Bancroft were highly commended in the Devon Women in Business Female Led Small Business of the Year Award. Photo: Poppy Jakes (Poppy Jakes)

The Devon Women In Business Awards were started in 2021 by Louise Jenner and Maureen Townsend who run the Devon Women in Business women-only networking group. The Awards include 11 categories and winners are automatically put through to the finals of the West Country Women Awards.