Puddle Ducks

Puddle Ducks pair celebrate EWiF Success

Puddle Ducks is celebrating the success of two of its network who have been named finalists at this year’s EWif Awards.

The national awards celebrate the achievements of women across franchising in a number of categories, with Puddle Ducks Co-Founder and Managing Director Jo Stone named as a finalist in one of the most prestigious categories, Ambassador of the Year.

Puddle Ducks has seen extraordinary success since it was first co-founded by Jo in 2002 and now has over 33 franchisees owning over 50 territories across the UK, with Jo instrumental in supporting the network to thrive.

Jo is part of a Franchisor Peer Group that meets regularly to share knowledge, advice and best practice, which is then shared amongst the existing network as well as new franchisees joining the business.

Commenting on the nomination Jo said: “It’s such an honour to be recognised in this way. As a franchisor, you feel a huge pressure to get it right for your franchise owners, but I’m a huge advocate for educating, encouraging and empowering all of our franchisees, particularly the women who join the sector.

“We were recently named as the first franchise to achieve 12 consecutive years of 5* franchisee satisfaction, so it really is amazing to see how far the business has come since 2002. I feel so proud to be at the helm, leading an amazing network of predominately female franchisees, and to be in the running for ‘Ambassador of the Year’ at this year’s EWiF Awards, really is amazing!”.

Alongside Jo, one of Puddle Ducks’ franchisees and their own ‘Franchisee of the Year 2024’ has been recognised for the amazing work she does not only in her own business but across the rest of the franchise network.

Faye Burrell, franchise owner of Puddle Ducks Wakefield, Barnsley, Sheffield & South Leeds, has been named as a finalist for the ‘Woman Franchisee of the Year’ award. Having been a Puddle Ducks franchisee for the last fifteen years, it’s her outstanding performance and dedication to the swim school that has seen her become a finalist in such a prestigious category in the awards.

Throughout her Puddle Ducks journey, Faye has continuously looked for new ways to support the children she teaches and grow her business, acting as a source of support for her fellow franchisees across the network and consistently demonstrating an ambition and desire to achieve her goals, most notably through the recent expansion of her network.

Speaking of the nomination, Faye commented: “To be named as a finalist in this year’s EWiF awards is an incredible achievement, particularly in the category of ‘Woman Franchisee of the Year.’ I am really proud of how I have developed my business throughout the last fifteen years as well as my own personal growth that has enabled me to be the best franchisee I can be. This nomination is also a testament to the wonderful team I have around me but also the support received from the Puddle Ducks Head Office”.

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