Head of the Women’s Business Centre awarded MBE

Gill Fennings-Monkman, the head of CIPS’s Women’s Business Centre, has been awarded a MBE by Her Majesty The Queen in recognition of her pioneering work in Women's Enterprise, in particular for her work with the centre.

Gill has worked for CIPs for over 27 years and in that time has overseen a number of hugely successful projects, the most recent of which is the Women’s Business Centre.

Gill’s enthusiasm, commitment and extraordinary hard work on the Women’s Enterprise agenda has meant that a whole new set of services have been created and opened up to women in East London. She has contributed both directly and indirectly to the business successes of over 3,000 women in one of the most deprived areas in the UK. 80% of the women who have been supported by Gill’s work are from black and minority ethnic groups (BAME) and many are from some of the poorest households in Newham.

Born and educated in locally, Gill is committed to ensuring that the people of Newham and East London have the best possible services and resources that can be provided. 

This work has touched the lives of so many women and their families and for many of these women made a real difference to their involvement in the world, their financial stability and the opportunities available in the lives.