THE owner of a Wirral business making sustainable activewear - whose fans include TV presenter Alison Hammond - has won a regional award.

Well Fit Active - a sustainable activewear brand designed specifically for plus-size women - was among 900 businesses shortlisted for a North West UK StartUp Award. 

The Port Sunlight-based firm, founded by Sarah Hall, was nominated for the Fashion & Beauty StartUp of the Year Award in the North West.

As a regional winner, the company goes through to the UK Startup Awards final being held at Ideas Fest on September 12, dubbed ‘the Glastonbury for Entrepreneurs’

The business idea was borne from a lack of suitable gym kit for working out and playing sports in a larger body - when founder Sarah felt she had exhausted all options global brands and the high street had to offer, she designed her own.

Well Fit promises British-made garments and designs, a strong commitment to sustainability and a continued passion for creating new activewear for women who don’t fit the fitness stereotype.

After years in development, Well Fit launched in January 2023, gaining instant celebrity fans in Alison Hammond and Josie Gibson who loved the concept of the Well Fit training tops and compression leggings.

Wirral Globe: Alison Hammond pictured in one of the Well Fit creationsAlison Hammond pictured in one of the Well Fit creations (Image: courtesy of Sarah Hall)

Since the launch, Well Fit’s range has grown and they are soon to be launching new t-shirts, accessories and leggings into the core collection.

The Well Fit range is available in UK sizes 8-30 at wellfitactive.com

Sarah said: "I am absolutely over the moon to have won this award! It means a lot to a small business to be recognised in this national awards programme and provides a great platform for us to reach a wider audience and connect with other businesses.

"I am really looking forward to meeting lots of fellow entrepreneurs at this year’s Ideas Fest!"

The UK StartUp Awards were established to highlight the success of startups across ten UK nations and regions, including the North West, and to celebrate the achievements of entrepreneurs in all sectors of the economy.

More than 85,000 firms were created in the North West in 2023 and according to Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE, creator of the awards, this demonstrates the growing importance of entrepreneurs to the regional economy.

He said: “Start-ups are the life of any economy and that is especially true in the North West where new businesses are contributing to job creation, innovation, and prosperity across the whole of this entrepreneurial region.

"It’s been an honour and a pleasure to read the stories of those founders who have spotted the opportunity and taken the risk to launch their own venture.

"All of the winners in the North West have demonstrated that they deserve to win their categories and I’m looking forward to having the ‘best of the best’ from the region competing at the UK final later this year”.