A former regional daily journalist who started her own energy company has won an award for entrepreneurship.

Cheryl Latham, who used to work at the Manchester Evening News, has scooped the ‘Outstanding Entrepreneur’ prize at this year’s Northern Power Women awards, which celebrate business achievements made by women in the North of England.

Cheryl founded the first buy-to-give energy company Brighter World in 2016, to provide “ethical energy” to consumers.

For every 2,000 customers that switch to Brighter World, the firm installs a solar powered microgrid in a village in Africa – a continent where 600m people currently have no access to electricity.

Said Cheryl: “I am delighted to have won a Northern Power Women award and it was a privilege to be in the room with so many inspirational women and men who are setting the agenda for change and helping to close the gender gap.

“The energy industry has the power to empower women here and women in developing countries to help change their lives and the lives of their families.”

Cheryl worked for the MEN between 2008 and 2010, before moving on to the BBC and later serving as Metro’s deputy business editor.

She completed a full-time MBA at Manchester Business School before founding Brighter World last year.