When the Women Leaders Awards 2026 launches next month, it will mark an important milestone for the organisation. For the first time, women from Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire will be invited to enter alongside those from Milton Keynes, reflecting the growing regional reach of the Women Leaders platform. Over the past decade, Women Leaders UK has evolved from a locally rooted initiative into a recognised platform celebrating women in leadership, entrepreneurship, innovation and community impact. As its audience and influence have grown, so too has its geographic reach across the wider MK postcode area and neighbouring counties.

Reflecting a More Connected Regional Economy

The expansion of the Women Leaders Awards reflects how business and professional life increasingly operates across county boundaries. Milton Keynes, Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire are more connected than ever. Businesses recruit talent across the region, supply chains span multiple towns, and collaborations between organisations, universities, charities and start-ups are now common.

Many women already build their careers across this wider geography — whether running businesses serving multiple counties, working in regional leadership roles, or contributing to professional networks that extend far beyond one town or city.

Opening the Women Leaders Awards 2026 to the wider region acknowledges that reality. Women’s leadership does not operate within fixed boundaries, and the platforms that recognise it should reflect that.

Celebrating Women in Leadership Across the Region

Since its launch, Women Leaders has celebrated women’s achievements across a wide range of sectors, including business, entrepreneurship, corporate leadership, education, innovation, community impact and public service.

By expanding eligibility to include Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire, the Awards will showcase an even broader range of achievements and leadership stories. The result will be a richer and more representative picture of female leadership across the region.

Why Visibility for Women Leaders Matters

Visibility remains one of the most powerful drivers of progress for women in leadership. When women see others like themselves recognised, across different industries, career stages and backgrounds, it helps reshape expectations and expand opportunities.

A broader regional platform means more role models, leadership stories and success narratives. It also helps demonstrate that women are shaping organisations, communities and industries across the region.

While progress has been made in improving gender representation, many sectors still have a long way to go. Senior leadership roles remain disproportionately male in several industries, particularly in technology and engineering.

Creating a platform that consistently highlights female achievement, and leadership helps challenge that imbalance and encourages more women to pursue leadership roles.

Supporting Women in Technology and Engineering

This challenge is particularly visible in technology and engineering sectors, which play a major role in the region’s economic growth but continue to face gender diversity challenges.

As businesses increasingly recruit talent from across Milton Keynes, Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire, supporting and retaining women across the region has become even more important. Chantal-Lawren Welch, Marketing Manager at Silverstone Park, explains:

“Silverstone Park is proudly based in Northamptonshire and sits at the heart of a globally recognised ecosystem for high-performance technology and advanced engineering. As the Park prepares to double in size, ensuring a strong and diverse talent pipeline is essential.

Motorsport and engineering have traditionally been male-dominated, currently around 80% of our on-site workforce are men, but the future of these industries depends on attracting the very best minds, including female talent.

In reality, geographic borders across Northamptonshire, Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire are increasingly blurred, with people living, working and collaborating across the region. That’s why initiatives like our Women’s Innovation Network (WIN), alongside the expanding reach of Women Leaders, are so important in raising voices, building visibility and creating a more even playing field as the region grows.”

Building Stronger Regional Networks

The expansion of the Women Leaders Awards also benefits businesses and organisations across the region. Recognising women from three counties helps strengthen professional networks, encourages collaboration and connects organisations with new talent and ideas.

It creates a shared regional platform where experiences, insights and opportunities can be shared – supporting both individuals and the wider regional economy.

Nominations Open March 2026

When nominations for the Women Leaders Awards 2026 open on Tuesday 24 March, women from Milton Keynes (including the wider MK postcode area), Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire will be invited to submit entries.