Dawn Edwards this week collected her MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) from the Prince of Wales at an Investiture Ceremony at Windsor Castle. Dawn was awarded the honour in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025 for Services to the Business Community in Nottinghamshire.
Over many years Dawn has played a pivotal role in supporting the business community, both in Nottinghamshire and the wider East Midlands region, mentoring entrepreneurs, fostering leadership development, and championing business growth initiatives that have strengthened the local economy, often in volunteer and unpaid roles.
She is a former board member and president of the East Midlands Chamber, supporting businesses during the Covid pandemic, and more generally through signposting to grants and other forms of aid to strengthen business resilience. In April of this year she was a appointed as regional chair (East Midlands) for the Federation of Small Businesses and is a board member on Carlton Neighbourhood Board.
Dawn said: “I am truly humbled to receive this recognition. Nottinghamshire has an incredible business community, and I will continue to do whatever I can, whenever I can to ensure that Nottinghamshire, and the wider East Midlands business community gets the support and profile which it so richly deserves, and is the go to place to do business. The visit to Windsor Castle and meeting His Royal Highness is an experience I shall never forget.”
Dawn was brought up in Calverton, attending Colonel Frank Seely School, and is the daughter of the local chimney sweep. She took her first job at the age of 16 as an apprentice at Wrangler UK. Study towards professional qualifications, including an MBA at the age of 29, and redundancy from Home Brewery in Daybrook was the catalyst to step into the world of entrepreneurship, forming Challenge Consulting, a leadership and management training and consultancy company, from a back bedroom in her home.
Dawn is a fellow of the Institute of Leadership, and is on various advisory boards.
