A WANTAGE business woman who made weddings as safe as possible during the pandemic is a finalist in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2021. 

Alison Hargreaves, of Guides for Brides in Wantage, has been selected as a South West finalist for the Pivot Entrepreneur of the Year.

After many months of the weddings sector having no or low season business, she looked for solutions that would not only support her industry colleagues to hold safe, Covid-secure events, but also give peace of mind to their clients and the Government. 

Within months of the national lockdown being in place, specially designed track and trace software for weddings, Trusted Trace, was created and soon followed by the new industry standard, Wedding Safe. 

Guides for Brides is an online wedding portal that connects couples planning weddings and related events with venues and suppliers across the UK and globally. This new direction of creating track and trace software and an industry standard is a significant pivot from their usual business model.

Ms Hargreaves said: “We created Trusted Trace and Wedding Safe to support couples and our industry colleagues through these difficult times.

It was a significant adjustment to the way our business works and our team have jumped at the opportunity to create something that will truly support our sector, prove to the Government our industry’s commitment to Covid safety and boost consumer confidence.”

The national winners of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2021 will be announced in November this year.

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