Wellbeing of Women

Inspirational Women of the Year Awards

The Inspirational Women of the Year Awards Gala took place on 11th May 2009

At a glittering awards ceremony at the Marriott Hotel in Grosvenor Square, London, on Monday 11th May, Patron of Wellbeing of Women, Prime Minister's wife Sarah Brown honoured the Inspirational Women Of The Year. Hosted by TV presenter Natasha Kaplinsky, awards were presented by Dame Helen Mirren, Claudia Winkleman, Rachel Stevens and Christine Bleakley. They were joined at the event by many other big names from the worlds of celebrity and business.

For the third year, the awards in support of Wellbeing of Women, celebrated the stories of six inspiring finalists from all walks of life. They are promoted by the Daily Mail and sponsored by M&S.

The evening was the culmination of several weeks in which the Mail's readers nominated women who deserved to be honoured for their unsung dedication to others. From hundreds of entries, the judges chose Sylvie Silver for her remarkable spirit of selflessness.

As a wing commander in charge of the London Air Training Corps - comprising 30 squadrons (1,300 air cadets) Sylvie deals with teenagers from some of the roughest, most deprived areas in London, with difficult or tortured childhoods, but says: 'People say I have the ability to shut people up with just a look.' But this is just in her spare time, her ‘real’ job is running the charity National Association for the Providers of Activities for Older People (NAPA) which aims to bring life to care settings and promotes the message that you are never to old to have fun in life.

More photos here