We had the most wonderful time at last nights annual Milspo Awards & Christmas Party. It’s been another intense year for the Armed Forces community but coming together to celebrate our wonderful network and its members in such a fun way was just what we all needed.
It was an evening full of giggles, support, and of course our amazing Milspo awards! For the second year we were able to award 5 special Milspo’s to these amazing business owners. Thank you to Forces Family Finance for supporting the 2021 awards.
Our 2021 winners are….
🏆 Milspo New Talent Award 2021 – Rachel Luke Virtual Assistant
🏆Milspo Collaboration Award 2021 – Helen Massy Medical & Health Writer
🏆Milspo Advocate Award 2021 – Emma Gray of Rainbow Hunting 
🏆Milspo Ad Astra Award 2021 – Andrea Baker of B’s Clothing & Gifts
🏆Milspo Network Award 2021 – Nicola Swan of Made With Mud 
Thank you to all those who attended for an amazing evening. We truly do have the best community online! If you’re a UK military spouse, partner or other-half looking for some support with your business dreams in 2022 why not come and join us? https://www.facebook.com/groups/MILSPO

New Talent Award – This award is for any new SPO business launched in the last 18 months. There were quite a few nominations for this one. This person has made such an impact that you would think she had been around for a decade! She works with small business owners struggling to complete their never-ending admin tasks or want to build their social media presence but isn’t sure how. If she wasn’t busy enough, she has just started running a free social media drop-in clinic for Milspo! The award for MILSPO New Talent award 2021 goes to Rachel Luke – Virtual assistant

Our next award was won by Carrie Moss of the military matchmaker last year and is the MILSPO Collaboration award – A SPO business owner who can demonstrate examples of working with or alongside other Milspo or related organisations in a mutually reciprocal way.

Again, there was some stiff competition. However, the one who stood out from the crowd was someone who, alongside her main business as a content writer, worked tirelessly for the benefit of spouses/veterans/freelance and employed to collaborate, compile and publish the fantastic Career Pursuit magazine this year during Covid showcasing so many of us and other military community talents, which can only mean the winner of the Milspo Collaboration award 2021 goes to Helen Massey – Health and Medical writer

Last year the next award went to the lovely Sarah Walker from supporting the unsung hero for being such a huge cheerleader. The Advocate Award is for A business owner from the inside or beyond the Armed Forces Community that regularly champions all things Milspo, including other businesses from within the group.

This person has built a business around helping others through shared experience and expertise and is a huge Milpso advocate who never misses an opportunity to name drop MILSPO in her media opportunities, including on Sky News! If you don’t already know who this lady is, Check out her website, rainbowhunting.co.uk, to see our Milspo advocate award 2021 winner, Emma Gray

The next award is one of our favourites as it truly showcases what a resilient bunch we are. Last year, the winner of the Ad Astra award was Emma Randell of Scrumptious Bakes, who has since gone on to welcome a new baby! Taken from the RAF motto ‘from adversity to the stars’, this is an SPO business owner who has shown strength through adversity and has flourished in the business and Armed Forces community. This lady has certainly done that.

On a daily basis, this lady runs her business whilst catering for her daughter’s additional needs and supporting the charity that does this. Also, this year she has moved home and sadly lost her father. However, she has still managed to take orders from customers of military units, military spouses, and the general public and work to grow her business. If you haven’t guessed already, this award goes to Andrea Baker of Bs clothing!

Last but not least is the Milspo Network award, which Abbie from Nala coaching won in the previous year. This is our network’s favourite SPO business owner for demonstrating resilience, determination, and new criteria is that they are a profitable business and have been trading in some form for over two years.

This lady can demonstrate all areas of this award and had to show diversity in resilience last year during the height of the pandemic, most recently when she was horrifically trolled online. Rising above the haters and turning an awful time into a positive that helped grow her business, this Milspo has shown us all the meaning of true grit. Our 2021 Milspo Network Award winner is Nicola Swann from Made With Mud.