Workplace Champion Award
Mark Ayres
Being nominated for Workplace Champion was quite a surprise. I’m incredibly proud and grateful to have been recognised.
I have worked with Delicious Ideas for nearly 20 years, holding a number of different positions along the way. As Production and Facilities Manager, I look after our production team, machinery, warehouse, operations and the building.
My role is busy and varied, but I always make time for the team. One day I might be under a machine with a spanner, having 1-to-1s with my direct reports, or sorting out an issue with a van or the office. No two days are ever the same!
I’m incredibly proud to work for Delicious Ideas Food Group. We have a fantastic culture here and there’s a real family feel. Cooperation is one of our key values, and I’m proud of how well we all work together as a united team to achieve the best results.
Julie Fernandez
Julie Fernandez is the leading Access Coordinator in the UK and one of the better-known disabled actors and activists working in the Entertainment industry today. Her 30 year + screen career was the perfect grounding for her current work as an Access Coordinator. Following the writer Jack Thorne’s MacTaggart lecture, Julie ran the inaugural ScreenSkills funded Access Coordinator training in 2022 with her business partner Sara Johnson. She went on to co-found the unique Access Team at agency Casarotto Ramsay and Associates, working with Sara to guide and support their Access Coordinator and other Access expert clients. She has since worked as an AC on over a hundred productions of all genre, size and budgets for all the major broadcasters and streamers. The pair are passionate about ensuring the embedding of this vital emergent role as well as providing strategic consultancy for broadcasters, streamers, indies and businesses on how to improve accessibility from the ground up. In her time as an actor, Julie appeared in award winning shows including The Office, Eldorado, Holby City and Casualty, and presented factual entertainment shows. As a lifelong advocate for disability rights Julie has written, produced, and hosted a number of award winning documentaries for BBC Radio 4, and can often be found as a strong and passionate voice on disability-led issues on radio and TV. Working as an Access Coordinator is an evolutionary step for Julie, building on her experience as an Access Consultant with clients as broad as Buckingham Palace and Citi Bank. She continues to collaborate closely with many organisations and industries as well as her beloved Peterborough Presents, providing consultancy, disability awareness training to staff members and encourage everyone to have an Access First approach. Julie is a lifelong advocate for improving the working lives and pay for the disabled community and feels lucky every day to be doing this work
Nicola Ford
Nicola Ford is Managing Director of The LOF Group, a Peterborough workplace specialist spanning furniture, interior design, fit-out and acoustic solutions.
As a neurodivergent leader and experienced workplace designer, Nicola brings personal insight and professional expertise to creating environments in which people can thrive. She understands how design, culture and leadership must work together to support varied ways of thinking, communicating, and working, and the expectations of a multigenerational workforce.
At LOF Group, Nicola champions wellbeing, flexibility, and individual development. Her hands-on, inclusive leadership builds understanding across teams, helping people feel valued, heard, and empowered. She also mentors’ colleagues and aspiring entrepreneurs, helping others develop the confidence to pursue their ambitions.
Her commitment extends into Peterborough through work with ARU Peterborough and Young Enterprise, inspiring future talent and connecting education with real workplace experience. Through her leadership and design expertise, Nicola places people at the heart of successful organisations.
Emma Henson
As Office Manager at Dragonheart Homes, Emma Henson plays a pivotal role in the day-to-day leadership of the business, overseeing a diverse portfolio including HR, procurement, accounts, executive support and the management of the stores and yard team. Beyond her operational responsibilities, Emma is passionate about creating a workplace where people can thrive.
A trained mental health ambassador through BrainSmart and Jamma, she champions mental health and neurodiversity across the organisation. Emma has led initiatives to increase awareness, embed inclusive practices and is driving Dragonheart Homes’ journey towards ISO 45003:2021 certification for Psychological Health and Safety at Work, for which the company is currently undergoing audit.
Emma also works closely with HMP North Sea Camp through the Prisoners Building Homes programme, supporting Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) participants with their transition into employment and helping secure accommodation on release, enabling many to build stable careers at Dragonheart Homes and beyond.
Edmund Hockley
As a qualified counsellor, Edmund has always been passionate about mental health and has wanted to make a difference to people. In his early career, he managed student support services within universities, supporting young adults with all aspects of their health and wellbeing, whilst himself becoming well-versed in crisis and change management. He then went on to manage several retirement homes, bringing his compassionate attention to detail to improve the lives of his residents and their families.
Having supported individuals for some time, Edmund realised that if he can transform a company’s culture, he can impact even more people. He advocates that by building a healthy, supportive workplace, businesses benefit from higher productivity and better staff retention – as well as a happy team! Today, Edmund plays a hugely influential role at crooton, supporting the leadership team with strategic wellbeing initiatives and helping individuals through personal and professional challenges.
Katie Humphrey
Katie Humphrey is the Founder and CEO of Curiously Divergent, a neurodiversity consultancy and community interest company dedicated to creating more inclusive workplaces, services and communities for neurodivergent people.
Drawing on both lived experience and more than nine years working across early help, youth services, social care, education and employment support, Katie has built Curiously Divergent around a simple belief: neurodivergent people should not have to constantly fight to access the support, understanding and opportunities they need.
Through Curiously Divergent, Katie leads work across neuroinclusive training and consultancy, workplace support, employment programmes, Access to Work, coaching, community projects and specialist virtual assistance. The organisation now works with individuals, employers, public sector partners and community organisations across Cambridgeshire and beyond.
Katie’s work has been recognised nationally, including being named a finalist in the Disability in Business Awards and receiving nominations for diversity and business awards. Alongside growing two organisations, she remains passionate about using lived experience to influence systems, challenge barriers and create practical, lasting change for neurodivergent people.
Pete Kelley
Pete Kelley is Assistant Principal and Director of Technologies & Partner Engagement at Greater Peterborough UTC, leading Technologies, Careers and Marketing. His path here has been anything but conventional: After graduating he worked for British Steel and Perkins Engines, then diversified as a scaffolder, Insurance Consultant, Operations Director and later a Managing Director running his own company. He retrained as a teacher, qualifying via the Northampton Teacher Training Partnership, and has since built a 20-year career spanning Head of Engineering roles, STEM coordination, and educational project management with apprenticeship providers. A Mechanical Engineering graduate of Newcastle University, Pete brings that breadth of real-world industry experience into the classroom — alongside his passion for fell walking and CrossFit.
Shelley Nicholls
I started my career with Delicious Ideas in November 2019, following 20 years’ service at Thomas Cook, where I spent my final few years in Human Resources as PA to the HR Director and her team. When Thomas Cook went into administration, I stayed on to support the administrators through the closure, unexpectedly finding myself on the job market after believing I’d stay there for life!
I joined Delicious Ideas as a Franchise Recruitment Administrator and instantly felt at home. Since then, I’ve progressed into Operations roles, Sales Office Manager and most recently, Customer Operations Manager.
I love the family culture, connected environment and the people who make this such a special place to work. We genuinely live our values, and I can honestly see myself staying until retirement!
Being nominated as Workplace Champion means so much to me, it’s incredibly special to be recognised by my colleagues.
Outside of work, I’m a mum of two to Isabella and Dominic, married to Ian, my partner of 25 years and enjoy spending time with family and friends.
Liza Raby
Liza Raby is the founder of Spencer’s Hair Salon and co-owner of LH Hair Design and Burghley Hair & Beauty Academy.
With 40 years in the hair and beauty industry, she is passionate about developing people, creating opportunities, and building businesses that make a positive difference.
Inspired by her son Spencer, who has severe learning disabilities and epilepsy, Liza has made inclusion and community impact central to her work.
Alongside her teams, she has helped raise more than £225,000 for charities and local causes while creating welcoming salons and an academy that supports learners of all backgrounds to gain skills, confidence, and careers.
Liza believes that great businesses should do more than succeed commercially, they should inspire people, strengthen communities, and change lives.
Selina Wilson
Selina Wilson is the Director of People and Strategy at Nene Park Trust, where she leads work across organisational culture, learning and development, volunteering, human resources, equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), and health and wellbeing. Passionate about creating positive and inclusive workplace environments, Selina is dedicated to ensuring that people feel valued, supported and empowered to contribute their best. Her strategic and people-focused approach has played a key role in strengthening organisational culture and employee engagement across the Trust. During her time at Nene Park Trust, the charity achieved the prestigious Investors in People Gold accreditation, recognising its commitment to excellence in people management. Selina is driven by the belief that thriving people create thriving organisations and communities, and she is committed to fostering cultures where individuals can grow, succeed and make a meaningful difference.
Daniel Wood
Dan is a born-and-bred Peterborian with a genuine passion for the city, its people, and its business community. As Manager at Fig Flex Offices, Dan is dedicated to creating a welcoming, professional environment where businesses can thrive, grow and connect.
Dan also has a strong connection to the local community through his previous role at Peterborough United, where he gained valuable experience working within one of the city’s best-known organisations. His time at the club further strengthened his connection to Peterborough and his desire to play a positive role in the city’s future.
At FigFlex, Dan takes a client-first approach, supporting businesses of all sizes and helping them find the right workspace while delivering a high level of service.
Being born and bred in Peterborough, Dan genuinely wants to see the city succeed. He is passionate about promoting Peterborough as a great place to live, work, invest and do business, and is proud to play his part in helping the city and its business community move forward.