On Thursday 30th June, at the NatWest Encouraging Women into Franchising (EWiF) Awards, Camilla Culshaw, Founder of The Teepover Club® beat the competition, to take home the New Woman Franchisor of the Year Award, sponsored by Daisy First Aid.
Camilla’s teepee sleepover business, The Teepover Club® has been operating in Southampton for just under three years with over a thousand local children enjoying their luxury parties to date, and hundreds further in other areas of the country with regional franchises.
The 31 year old mum of two’s work has not gone unnoticed. On 30th June, Camilla was recognised by the UK’s franchise industry for her dedication, ambition, and ability to inspire others. Several other inspirational industry leaders were nominated for the New Woman Franchisor of the Year Award but Camilla shone above every other finalist in the judges’ eyes.
Every year, the EWiF annual awards celebrates the achievements of women in franchising. This year, the awards once again took place at the NatWest building in Central London – the first time since the pandemic. Over 140 franchising professionals came together to applaud the successes of women from across the UK, in a variety of sectors. Franchising was, traditionally speaking, dominated by men, which is why the organisers of these awards believe it’s so important to honour women, specifically.
As Helen Mansfield, Managing Director of EWiF, says, “The rising numbers of women finding purpose through running their own businesses, fully supported by their franchise, is a real joy to see! We’ve been encouraging women to see franchising as a viable route for business success since 2008. This year, we’re thrilled to have awarded Camilla Culshaw of The Teepover Club® for her contribution to franchising: Her entry really showed how much she contributes to our industry. She’s a very worthy winner!”
The Teepover Club® creates magical and memorable luxury teepee sleepovers, luxe picnics, pamper parties, and new for 2022, children’s wedding corners, styled to perfection either for birthdays, special occasions or “just because”.
A concept loved by countless celebrities including Amanda Holden, Tess Daly, Rochelle Humes and most recently, Kim Kardashian, to name just a few, The Teepover Club® makes these on trend “Instagram-worthy” parties accessible to families across the country.
Camilla Culshaw, Owner of The Teepover Club®, says, “Winning the “New Woman Franchisor of the Year 2022” Award felt absolutely incredible. I arrived on the day just thrilled to be there amongst the other finalists and sponsors, I didn’t for one second expect to win. Having read up on the inspiring women who had won this award in previous years, I was so flattered to have even made the shortlist.”
Earlier this year, The Teepover Club® was awarded Best “Children’s Party Supplier” category for the Little Ankle Biters Awards 2022 and the company keeps growing from strength to strength with this latest award win.
Camilla continues, “Gaining this recognition and reassurance for the hard work I have put in so far has made me more determined than ever to grow my franchise to the next level. I am also hoping that the award win will give prospective franchisees the confidence they need to trust in me and The Teepover Club®. With an already established brand in the South Coast, we’re currently focussing on growing with additional franchises in the local area to meet the increasing demand for our parties, before continuing to expand across the country. It’s a very exiting time for The Teepover Club®!”
EWiF is a not-for-profit organisation run by volunteers. They provide advice and guidance to anyone wanting to break into franchising – either to start their own business, or to expand through this route. Their remit is threefold: to encourage women to buy a franchise if they want to run their own business, to encourage others to franchise their existing operations, and to help franchisors attract more women into their networks. With regional meetings, an annual awards ceremony, annual conference and much more taking place for their members, EWiF is a valuable community and source of information for so many.