Claire Given, a Bournemouth University (BU) graduate in Journalism is one of 50 women to win a ‘Women in Innovation Award’ at a ceremony in London, organised and funded by Innovate UK.
Claire’s start-up company, Equipmii was shortlisted for the award from over 1,400 other applicants. Equipmii designs and produces products that have been specially adapted for shoppers with physical impairments. It is estimated that there are 14.6 million people living in the UK with physical impairments and the business aims to connect customers with personalised designs that meets their needs.
Prams and hairdryers are some of the everyday products that Equipmii assesses and adapts to help users find the right fit for their body. As a person living with a physical impairment herself, Claire drew inspiration from her own shopping experiences, saying: “Like many people during lockdown, I was doing lots of exercise at home. I was born with a left arm that finishes beneath the elbow, and I found lots of exercises required you to have equal weight distribution over both hands which wasn’t doing my body much good. I developed a height adjustable cube that could give me the support and stability I needed.”
The product went on to be endorsed by the GB Paralympics team and eventually sparked the idea for Equipmii to help others find a range of products that meet their needs. Claire continued: “I know from personal experience how difficult it can be for people to find products which suit their own individual needs, and we’re setting out to fix this problem for both consumers and retailers.”
Claire, who graduated from BU with a BA (Hons) in Journalism in 2003, said: “I loved my time at Bournemouth, and my degree in journalism not only gave me skills in writing, which I still find beneficial today, but also the confidence to pick up the phone and to forge new contacts, which is essential as an entrepreneur.”
Innovate UK who administer the award each year is an agency that provides money and support to help organisations develop their products and services. As a winner, Claire will receive a £75,000 grant, personalised business coaching and access to business networking and training opportunities, she continued: “It’s thrilling to be recognised through this award, alongside such highly talented and inspirational women and, for Equipmii, it’s a massive validation of our mission.”
