The chief executive of Deaf Village North West, based in Feniscowles, has picked up a huge cash prize for the charity after winning an award.

Debra Cartlidge came third at the Stelios Awards for Disabled Entrepreneurs 2024, hosted by the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation set up by the owner of easyJet, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou.

The awards, now in their 16th year, offer a total of £200,000 in prizes for three disabled entrepreneurs in the UK who have set up their own businesses and excelled in their chosen fields.

The £40,000 third prize went to Debra Cartlidge, founder of the School of Sign Language and The White House Deaf Specialist, in the Deaf Village.

Debra, who is deaf, was told she would never amount to anything by her teachers and peers.

She worked multiple jobs and took it upon herself to learn sign language and study, all while raising a young family.

In 2006, she founded the School of Sign Language and eventually created a space for people in the deaf community to access support and learning.

The Deaf Village works with individuals to support their needs and help them reach personal goals and also runs a residential facility called The White House.

Debra will put the prize money towards a Deaf College for post-16 education which is currently in development.

Debra said: “Right from the start, my mission has been to pave the way for a more inclusive and accessible society, particularly for our deaf community.

“Winning this award is not just a personal achievement, but also a testament to the incredible journey my amazing staff team have been on together!

“We will continue to inspire and empower others to believe in their dreams and strive for a more inclusive future.”

Since the awards started in 2006 a grand total of £1,500,000 (including this year’s sum) has been donated by Sir Stelios and his foundation to disabled entrepreneurs recognising the exceptional achievements of disabled entrepreneurs.

Sir Stelios said: “We’re proud to honour Debra [and the other winners] today.

“I was fascinated to learn more about each of their stories and found it inspiring how they found business success in their respective fields.

“We know how difficult it can be for disabled people to get a job that is why I always believed that their best option is to become their own boss!

“This year we’re proud to have received an overwhelming number of applicants who have created innovative and ingenious businesses to generate jobs and money for themselves, their families and teams.

“These are three stand-out examples of how disabled entrepreneurs are blazing the trail for others and inspire more disabled people to start their own business and we hope that the prize money can help their businesses go from strength to strength.”