Mum-of-two Mel Bound, who set up a running network to help mums get access to exercise, was crowned Female Start-Up of the Year at last week’s Festival of Female Entrepreneurs.
Judges of a live pitching session at the festival, which took place in Bristol, voted unanimously for Mel, pictured, who set up This Mum Runs in Bristol two years ago and now also has groups covering Bath and Keynsham. 
A former runner, Mel realised she hadn’t had any exercise since she had her children and felt exhausted and unfit. She spotted a gap in the market for a community that could be an alternative to joining an expensive gym, but still offer encouragement and guidance.
She set up a Facebook community and now has 5,500 members, offers 90 organised runs a week and has trained 60 qualified running coaches. She plans to expand beyond Bristol and Bath and has her eye set on the rest of the UK.
The Female Start-Up of the Year contest was one of the high points of the Festival of Female Entrepreneurs, which was staged in Bristol last week for the fifth year.
It brought together some of the UK’s most influential female entrepreneurs, business leaders and brightest start-ups, providing detailed insight for starting and scaling a business in a jam-packed programme.
Mel Bound pitched against two other start-ups – Hannah Whitehead, founder of London-based online dating service Good Deed Dating, where couples can meet whilst doing good, and founder of organic baby food firm Piccolo, Catherine Gazzoli, also based in London.
The entrepreneurs each ran through a presentation before taking questions from the panel in front of a 300-strong audience.
Mel said: “This award means a lot for female entrepreneurs. So much of what we do goes unseen and unsung – especially when you’re a mum. We run our businesses around our children, juggling 100 things at the same time. I am so thrilled!”
Emma Jones, founder of small business support group Enterprise Nation, which organises the Festival of Female Entrepreneurs, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with all the amazing women running businesses at this year’s event.
“Mel is a great example of someone who set up her business out of passion, and has a relentless vision for where she wants her business to go. You can see it’s energised not just her, but all those women who have joined her running community. We wish her every success.”
Mel was awarded a hand-made necklace made by female-run design firm Tatty Devine, a golden chain bearing the glittering word #winner as well as package of prizes including a sparkly new website from 123-reg, £300 in Facebook advertising as part of the She Means Business campaign and mentoring, as well as a Microsoft Surface tablet.
She will also work with mentor Mike Jackson of WebStart Bristol, based in the city’s Engine Shed innovation hub, and Alison Edgar of Chippenham-based Sales Coaching Solutions.
Earlier in the day Cambridge Satchel Company founder Julie Deane OBE had given an inspiring talk on how she started her business in 2008 at her kitchen table with a £600 budget and the aim of paying her children’s school fees.
The festival, which was backed by Bath Business News sister website Bristol Business News for the second year running as media partner, will be back next year. For more details and reviews look here https://www.enterprisenation.com/festival
Photo of Mel Bound by Nina Allwood LifestyleDistrict.co.uk
