Birmingham graduates win awards after completing Three Peaks Challenge
Former University of Birmingham students Alex Webb and Skye Deane have received two national awards for their work in leadership coaching
Business partners Alex Webb and Skye Deane took on the Three Peaks Challenge in September as part of Rise & Shine, a programme involving more than 40 women seeking to build resilience and step outside their comfort zones.
The pair, who studied at the University of Birmingham a decade apart, later co-founded Resilient Women Leaders, a consultancy offering coaching, workshops and training for women in leadership roles.
Two weeks after the challenge, they won silver awards for Best Coach and Best Business at the Best Businesswomen Awards.
Ms Webb said the challenge was a personal goal rather than a charity fundraiser.
"People kept asking why I was doing it and whether it was for charity, and it wasn't," she said.
"It was something for me. A chance to challenge myself and lead myself with intention, which is exactly what we help other women do. If we can lead ourselves with compassion, we can lead others that way too."
Separately, Ms Webb raised more than £800 for the Breast Cancer Afternoon Tea campaign this year through a community event involving her local netball team and neighbours.
The fundraiser is now in its third year, having raised £200 in its first year and £450 in its second.
Resilient Women Leaders also received a STAR Award from a FTSE 100 company this autumn for its internal programmes, which have included training for apprentices and graduates and workshops for women at different stages of their careers.
Ms Webb studied for a BA at the University of Birmingham between 1992 and 1996, while Ms Deane completed a BSc between 2002 and 2005. They did not meet at university but later became business partners.
Ms Webb said: "Birmingham shaped us. It's where we learned who we were becoming, long before we knew we'd one day work together. To return to Birmingham as national award winners feels like a full-circle moment."
Ms Deane added: "Studying in Birmingham gave me confidence, independence and a sense of possibility. It's special to bring our work back to the city that helped shape us."