THE inspirational women of Bolton and across the North West will be celebrated at a glittering awards ceremony this weekend.

The Inspire Women Awards 2019 will take place at the University of Bolton Stadium on Saturday.

Hosted by BBC North West's Annabel Tiffin, the evening is designed to celebrate the "outstanding" contributions women have made to the region, with the night being a "celebration and achievements" of women from all walks of life who have demonstrated "courage, triumph, kindness, compassion, transformation, skill and success".

Attending the event will be heads of industry business chiefs, community leaders, politicians, entrepreneurs, celebrities and other well-known figures from the region’s private, public and voluntary sectors – many of whom will be presenting Inspire Awards to the deserving winners.

Guest will hear stories of unsung heroes, community champions and women who have gone above and beyond in the course of their work, service and passions.

The Inspire Women Awards was founded by Gulnaz Brennan, an award winning entrepreneur who lives and works in the Bolton area.

Gulnaz said wanted to create an awards ceremony with a difference.

She said: "These Awards are an open platform for anybody to join and contribute or to suggest a category that needs addressing. One of the things that makes the Inspire Women Awards unique is the giving back element, whereby all of the winners share their experiences with other members of the community and will commit a few hours of their time to one of the nominated charities. Plus, we will be measuring the social value of the awards, helped by Bolton's Boo Coaching."

The chosen charities are: Breaking Barriers, Mancunian Way, Homeless Aid UK, Katy Holmes Trust, Superjosh, JUMP, Boot Out Breast Cancer, Endeavour, and Positive Action in the Community (PAC).

Award categories are: Leadership; Business; Education; IT & Technology; Film, Art & Media; Social Enterprise Award; Hospitality; Law, Stem, Volunteer, Young Achiever (under 18); Fitness & Well Being; Employee of the Year; HER Abilities; Health & Social Care; Lifetime Achievement; SHEro; HeForShe Award and the coveted Woman of the Year Award.