THE CEO of Moo Free, based in Holsworthy, Devon, has made the shortlist for the prestigious National Diversity Awards.

Andrea Jessop has been nominated for the ‘Lifetime Achiever Award’, a testament to all her hard work and dedication to the equality, diversity and inclusion agenda.

The National Diversity Awards aim to showcase the best of British diversity, and Andrea has been selected from over 90,000 other inspiring people and businesses nationwide who entered this year’s awards. This latest honour recognises the commitment of both Andrea, and her husband and co-founder of Moo Free, Mike Jessop, to provide an inclusive environment at their Devon-based business.

Andrea promotes a culture at Moo Free which sees all people as individuals, who all deserve a chance. Andrea, who is autistic herself, has had a lot of exposure to autism and the challenges and benefits it brings. Drawing on her personal experiences with her son and daughter, who are also autistic, Moo Free was created to ensure everyone is treated equally and not defined by a condition or disability.

Andrea said: “As a business, we have strong ethics surrounding equality, diversity and sustainability, not just with the chocolate products we create, but for the wider community, and of course, our Moo Free family, who include many amazing people including those with autism. We aim to offer an inclusive environment, giving opportunities to people who need them and I am incredibly proud to be nominated for this award.”

The winners of the national diversity awards will be announced on September 15. The accolade of Lifetime Achievement Award, honours an individual who has made significant innovative, and cumulatively outstanding contributions to enhancing the practice of equality and diversity, devoting a major portion of their life to their cause.

Moo Free partners with local charities to provide work experience and permanent roles to those with disabilities where possible within the company.

Andrea continued: “Autism can show in many ways, and everyone is different. We have great knowledge and experience in handling these situations and have employed many valuable team members over the years who are hardworking and dedicated to their role. Everyone deserves a chance, and this to us is how it should be. Our experience is that people who are given valuable work experience and opportunities, and are treated equally and with respect, in and outside of the work environment, are more confident and independent as a result.

“Starting a new job can be a daunting experience for anyone, but it’s amplified for someone with autism. We have additional processes in place to ensure a smooth transition to onboarding our new members to the business and make sure that they are comfortable with the tasks, surroundings and their new colleagues. Procedures like flexible working patterns and a buddy system help with the transition of starting employment at Moo Free. We work with individuals to make sure they are comfortable with the job they are doing and the hours they work.”