Fintona entrepreneur in running for top UK honour

A FINTONA woman who developed a game-changing mental health app with her sister has been shortlisted for a prestigious business award honouring the most innovative and forward-thinking entrepreneurs operating in the UK.

Sinead Welsh, from Informed Minds Training and Consultancy Ltd, is one of 32 inspiring female founders named as finalists in this year’s AccelerateHER UK awards, in partnership with Barclays Eagle Labs.

Sinead and her sister Paula Fletcher returned to Tyrone after living in Melbourne, Australia for more than 10 years and quickly recognised the need for improved mental health and wellbeing support in the North.

The sisters have direct professional and personal experience of mental health challenges, including suicide, and recognised the need to improve the way information, support and help could be shared, particularly among young people. The result is the Informed Minds App, which has been co-designed with young adults over the last three years.

It now boasts over 365 vlogs from real people sharing their lived and learned stories and local professionals sharing their top tips along with advice on where to get help, local crisis support and how to help yourself, all in an accessible and confidential format.

Elizabeth Pirrie, of AccelerateHER, said she was delighted to announce an incredibly strong shortlist and congratulated all of our 2022 finalists, including Sinead.

She said, “The driver behind the AccelerateHER UK awards is to showcase dynamic female founded businesses with major global growth potential. It will be so exciting to celebrate the success of such exceptional talent with our AccelerateHER network when we announce our winners in March.”

Katherine Morgan, head of high growth and entrepreneurs at sponsors Barclays, added, “The standard of entries for this year’s awards has been hugely impressive and is exciting to see the number of female-founded businesses innovating in STEM sectors driving change in the UK.

“We commend all of this year’s entrants for their dynamic approach to entrepreneurship and wish all the finalists the best of luck.”