Stirling-based sustainable clothing brand Falling Leaf, and its founder Lindsay Galloway-Hall, have both been recognised for outstanding achievements in business, having been shortlisted for no fewer than 3 different awards already this year.
The fledgling eco-friendly clothing brand has been named a finalist in two separate categories ahead of the final of the Scottish StartUp Awards – Online Retail StartUp of the Year and Rebel StartUp of the Year.
The StartUp Awards were launched to recognise the booming start-up scene across the UK which has accelerated since the 2019 pandemic. Over 800,000 new businesses were founded in the UK since 2021, a 4.3% increase from the year before. The cohort of finalists will be considered for the regional prizes by a panel of seasoned judges with experience founding or supporting entrepreneurial ventures.
Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE, the creator of the StartUp Awards, said:
“Start-up businesses are the lifeblood of any economy, being responsible for new jobs, innovation and in supporting communities in every nation and region across the UK. All of the finalists this year represent the best of those entrepreneurs who have spotted an opportunity and through their sheer hard work, talent and perseverance, have created an amazing new business that is creating real impact in its sector.”
On top of this, Lindsay has been recognised as an ‘inspirational woman in business’, having been nominated in the Women in Retail category of BWC Glasgow’s newly launched Circle of Inspiration Awards.
These new awards have been created to reward women in business and the community across an array of categories. Once nominated, candidates can collect votes up to the closing date of 25th April, at which point the finalists in each category will be identified. The winners will then be announced at the Glitzy Gala Final which takes place in the voco Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow on 25th May and will be hosted by Mr Edward Reid.
Lindsay said: “It can be a lonely road starting up a business on your own, so I’m delighted to have been nominated for these awards, particularly with them being specifically designed to support women in business. It’s great to feel a part of such a supportive community.”
On Falling Leaf’s nominations, she shared: “It’s fantastic that Falling Leaf has been shortlisted in the StartUps again, and this time not just for one award, but for two! It’s such a boost to be recognised for all of the hard work it takes to create a new business, particularly in these challenging times. It’s also a huge compliment to be shortlisted alongside such amazing brands and people – we’re all in this together, so I’m looking forward to catching up with them all to celebrate at the awards ceremony in Glasgow next month”.
Launched in 2021, Lindsay’s brand, Falling Leaf, is an affordable, environmentally and socially conscious line of clothing and accessories with a Scottish photography twist, sold online and at various markets and events throughout the country. These latest nominations come on the back of Lindsay being named a finalist of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in 2022 – not bad for her first full year in business.
If you would like to vote for Lindsay and Falling Leaf in the Circle of Inspiration Awards, or would like to nominate another inspirational woman in your life, you can do so here.
