Women's Business Club celebrates 10th anniversary and relaunches in-person lunches after Covid interruption

Gloucestershire-based national business organisation Women’s Business Club has announced celebration plans for the tenth anniversary of the company’s founding, and the re-launch of its popular business lunches that were interrupted by Covid.

The business club, which moved to online events in the first Covid lockdown in 2020, has confirmed plans to relaunch in-person January 2023.

The company was founded in January 2013 by Angela De Souza (pictured) and supported by her daughter, Lorah-Kelly Beard, now CEO and Creative Director respectively.

Together they have worked tirelessly to connect, support, and empower women.

Lorah-Kelly said: “I am so excited to get back to meeting in person after nearly three years online. The Business Lunch events are so close to my heart as it’s through these meetings, 10 long years ago that I really found my feet as a young businesswoman, with the support and encouragement of the members who saw the potential in me, even when I didn’t see it myself.

"I am so excited to bring this back, to empower businesswomen through very strategic yet very community focussed lunch events.”

Women’s Business Club has since expanded its offerings from networking and training events to include a business magazine, annual conference, and global awards which have been an astounding success.

Women from across the South West are getting ready to celebrate the upcoming 10th anniversary on 25th January 2023 at the newly branded Leonardo Hotel in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, and will be joined by The Right Worshipful the Lord Mayor of Cheltenham, Councillor Sandra Holliday.

The club exists to connect, support and empower businesswomen and meet across the country in various venues ranging from hotels, pubs, and even banks and corporate offices.

Angela said: “To be perfectly honest I am still in utter disbelief that we have made it this far. There have been many challenges along the way but each and every success story we’ve heard as a result of what we do has made it worth it. I’m quite excited about what the next 10 year has in store as we have massive growth plans to reach women across the globe.”

The Women’s Business Club caters to women ranging from startup entrepreneurs to employed corporate women and in 2023 they have set a goal to launch over 1,000 Coffee & Co-working Communities across the UK to support women in their post-Covid recovery. These communities are free to attend and allow women to meet up and connect with other women in a safe space.

“Women’s Business Club is proud of its ten-year track record of organic growth,” said Angela. “At the same time, we are forward-focused on this next decade and have significant plans to deliver the highest quality business events and support wherever we are able to do so.”