• Swindon & Wiltshire Awards
• Tuesday March 18 2025
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Swindon PR expert named Solo Entrepreneur of the Year

Swindon PR consultant Fiona Scott has been named Solo Entrepreneur of the Year at the South West Business & Community Awards.

Fiona has run Scott Media since 2008, after being made redundant from her role as a series producer in television.

Since then she’s gone on to work with many companies and individuals nationwide, has worked in television and in the local media as well as publishing her first book and launching a podcast.

Awards judges said “Fiona’s journey from redundancy to becoming a leading authority in the media is truly inspiring.

“In the past 17 years, she has shown remarkable adaptability and growth working across all areas of the industry.”

Fiona said: “It’s only taken 17 years! Thank you to all my clients, past and present, who have trusted me with their stories of their lives and businesses.

“I love what I do every day. I loved it when I started as a journalist almost 40 years ago, and I still love it now.

“For me, good PR hinges on understanding how the media works in the modern world and appreciating the value that journalists bring to society.”

She also highlighted the importance of awards that acknowledge micro businesses made up of solo entrepreneurs and freelancers.

“To have a category which works for solo freelancers or entrepreneurs like me is fantastic. For many awards, we get overlooked as our goals tend not to be around scaling up and expanding into multi-million-pound companies.

“Yet, people like us are a thriving part of every business community in every village, town, region, and country,” she said.

Louise Hunt Skelley

Elsewhere in the competition, Paralympian Louise Hunt Skelley PLY was honoured with a Special Recognition Award for her tireless work in the media, in the world of wheelchair tennis, and in being a champion for diversity and inclusion.

Louise, former British wheelchair tennis athlete and Paralympian from Wroughton, Swindon attended the awards as a nominee in the hotly-contested category of Female Entrepreneur of the Year.

Louise was unaware that she would be honoured with the Special Recognition Award that night – however her husband Chris, her parents Tim and Linda and her friends were all in on the secret!

“I did not see that coming. Gosh, I’m in shock,” Louise said. “A big thank you to whomever nominated me and the amazing judges. I could thank a million people, I have the best family and friends in the whole world and I didn’t achieve that on my own, I did it because they believed in me and pushed me.

“A big thank you has to go to my husband Chris as he literally makes me think I can achieve anything and believes in every crazy idea I have. He understands I am abnormally ambitious!”

The award honoured her achievements including with the release of her book What’s Wrong with You? and her commentating at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, the Tokyo Paralympics and many Wimbledon championships.

She is also an accomplished speaker and tennis tournament director and has transitioned successfully from being a full-time world class wheelchair tennis player to a successful businesswoman.

Louise is one of Wiltshire’s most accomplished elite athletes and represented Great Britain at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

Paul Day, of Filestream which was the headline sponsor for the event and who presented the award said: “As judges, someone will come to our attention for a special recognition award. She stood out to receive this award in 2025. She continuously proves to us all that ‘impossible’ is not a word she recognises.

“By being positive, ambitious, and determined Louise defies boundaries. Every morning, she puts on a necklace given to her by her husband that says, ‘Abnormally Ambitious’, which paints an incredibly accurate picture of her.”

At the event, a recorded message was played from Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson who congratulated her for her sporting achievements and her dedication to supporting others since leaving elite sport.

Other winners included:

• Business of the Year – Shield Services
• The SME of The Year – The Heritage Fine Food Company
• Start-Up of The Year – Cameron Mills Group
• Male Entrepreneur – Louis Trent, Trent’s Drains
• Female Entrepreneur of The Year – Liz Hutchings, Total Guide
• Young Entrepreneur of The Year – Josh Martin
• Employer of The Year – Regency FX
• Networker of The Year Award – Ben Mears, Coastal Networkers
• Apprentice of The Year – Callum Martin
• Business Leader of The Year – Sam Gooding, Gooding Accounts
• Innovator of The Year Award – Goats of The Gorge
• Charity of The Year – Children’s Wishes Plymouth
• Outstanding Contribution to The Community – The Kit4Care Collaborative
• Lifetime of Achievement – Mark Trent, Trent’s Drains
• Leisure & Tourism Award – Ludo Sports Bar & Kitchen