Brights Hardware calls for entries for Women in DIY Excellence Awards

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This competition aims to spotlight the creativity, skill, and dedication of women who are running small businesses or transforming their homes and communities through innovative projects.

Orlando Luis, CEO of Brights Hardware, shares his enthusiasm for the initiative: "We created the Women in DIY Excellence Awards to celebrate the women who are embracing their hobbies, those who are following their creativity and making an impact in their own lives, their family's lives, and their communities through DIY, renovations, and upcycling. At Brights Hardware, we believe in empowering and recognising the talents of women, who inspire us with their passion and ingenuity."

The three winners of the Brights Women in DIY Excellence Awards will be announced during Women's Month in August 2024, a time dedicated to celebrating the achievements and contributions of women in various fields, and the impactful roles they play in their communities.

The overall winner in each category will receive a R5,000 Brights voucher and a product hamper valued at R5,000, for a total prize value of R10,000 per winner per category.

“By honouring the winners during Women's Month, Brights Hardware hopes to highlight the exceptional contributions of women in DIY, renovations, and upcycling and also aims to inspire more women to take up these transformative activities,” explains Luis.

“As a business we are committed to empowering women – both our team, who power Brights Hardware internally, and our valued customers - and also to breaking down gender barriers and stereotypes in the hardware industry.”

"We are calling on all South Africans to nominate women they feel deserve to be acknowledged for their creative skills in DIY, as well as inviting women to enter themselves into the competition and showcase the incredible work being done – and stand a chance of being crowned a DIY queen and win amazing prizes.”

Award categories

The awards feature three main categories, with a winner selected from each one.

The first category, Outstanding DIY, Home Décor & Repairs, Renovations, and Artistic Projects, celebrates women who excel in various DIY endeavours. Whether it's building, creating, repairing, or maintaining, these women showcase incredible talent and creativity through their projects.

The second category, Best Eco-Friendly, Sustainability, Upcycling & Restoration Award, is dedicated to women passionate about sustainability. This includes those who upcycle, re-love, and reuse furniture and other materials to create new and innovative products, as well as those involved in projects promoting energy efficiency and water conservation.

The third category, Exceptional Social Responsibility, Community Development, and Local Empowerment Initiatives, honours women who use their DIY skills to give back to their communities. From painting murals in under-resourced schools, to building planters for community gardens or volunteering for community improvement projects, these women make a significant impact through their charitable efforts.

“Entrants can be women who are making a full-time living from their skills, those with side-line businesses, hobbyists and crafters who do it for their own enjoyment, those donating their time – basically any woman engaged in a creative field that fits into the above three categories,” explains Luis.

How to enter

1. Choose a Category: Determine which category best fits your DIY projects, or the person you are nominating.

2. Submit Your Entry: Provide a detailed summary of your, or your nominees' projects – include as much information as possible, including the backstory of who, what, why, when and where (because small details can make big things happen). Please include high-quality photographs of finished projects, or links to social media profiles or digital portfolios.

3. Email Your Entry: Send your entry to [brights@brights.co.za] with the subject line indicating the category (e.g., "Competition Entry: Category 1 - DIY").

The deadline for submissions is midnight on 1 July 2024.