HFMA Awards

2021 Awards

Maurice Hanssen Award of Honour – Jenny Akers

The Health Food Manufacturers’ Association has named Jenny Akers as the deserving winner of this year’s Maurice Hanssen Award of Honour.

For over 27 years, Jenny has helped support hundreds of companies as they navigate the natural health industry’s complex regulatory field.

To see the press release for this award, click here.

Past winners are Peter Aldis, John Frisby, Robert Wilson, Lisa Bradley, David Adams, Dr Kartar Lalvani, Michael Evans, Barry Vickers, Professor David Richardson BSc, Eammon Reagan, Professor Arnold Beckett, Rand Skolnick, Jan de Vries, Derek Shrimpton, Sue Croft, Brian McLoughlin, Penny Viner, Ray Hill, Maurice Hanssen, Kell Sainsbury, Keith Pollitt, Colin Tophill, Roger Lane, Ian Martin and Dame Barbara Cartland.

Journalist of the Year – Faye Smith

This year’s Journalist of the Year award winner is Faye Smith. Faye has worked as a health journalist for more than 10 years and is the Wellness Editor at TI Media, writing for publications such as Woman, Good to Know, and Women & Home. Throughout her career she has been dedicated to bringing consumers the latest natural health news and trends. From ‘best supplements for sleep’ to ‘everything you need to know about CBD’, Faye has covered it all. Through her writing, Faye has kept many people informed and helping them live more naturally and healthier.

To see the press release for this award, click here.

Past winners have included Peta Bee, Amy Packer, Lucy Gornall, Jo Waters, Alice Smellie, Dr Hilary Jones, Caroline Jones, Jerome Burne, Sarah Stacey, Victoria Lambert, Sarah Hartley, Gill Cox, Jennifer Harper-Deacon, Dr Chris Steele, Dr Tom Stuttaford, Mark Atkinson, Michael van Straten, Amanda Ursell, Susan Clark and Dr Sarah Brewer

HealthyDoesIt Volunteer Writer Award – Laura Higgitt

The Health Food Manufacturers’ Association launched two new awards which saw two aspiring nutritionists win the HealthyDoesIt Volunteer Writer of the Year and the HealthyDoesIt Highly Commended Volunteer Writer. Both awards celebrate and recognise the hard work and dedication of the new team of writers assembled for this new initiative.

HealthyDoesIt is a consumer-facing initiative supported by the HFMA, designed to encourage consumers to access high-quality information and education about natural health products. Central to the campaign is the healthydoesit.org website, an extensive resource with content based on the latest nutritional research and advice, written by a team of qualified and trainee nutritionists and nutritional therapists.

HealthyDoesIt Volunteer Writer of the Year 2021 Winner: Laura Higgitt

HealthyDoesIt Highly Commended Volunteer Writer of the Year 2021 Winner: Rebecca Meadows

To see the press release for this award, click here.

2020 Awards

Maurice Hanssen Award of Honour – Peter Aldis

Peter has served as President of the HFMA for the last 17 years and made an outstanding contribution and service to the organisation. It was the unanimous decision of the Council to recognise his contribution to the sector.

To see the press release for this award, click here.

Past winners are John Frisby, Robert Wilson, Lisa Bradley, David Adams, Dr Kartar Lalvani, Michael Evans, Barry Vickers, Professor David Richardson BSc, Eammon Reagan, Professor Arnold Beckett, Rand Skolnick, Jan de Vries, Derek Shrimpton, Sue Croft, Brian McLoughlin, Penny Viner, Ray Hill, Maurice Hanssen, Kell Sainsbury, Keith Pollitt, Colin Tophill, Roger Lane, Ian Martin and Dame Barbara Cartland.

Journalist of the Year – Peta Bee

This year’s Journalist of the Year award winner Peta Bee is a highly regarded and experienced journalist who has been writing about health, beauty, nutrition and fitness for national newspapers and magazines for over 20 years. She writes regularly for The Times, the Daily Mail and women’s lifestyle website Get the Gloss, and is the author of six books, including ‘The Ageless Body, ‘Fast Exercise’ and ‘London 2020: Get Fit for the Games.’

To see the press release for this award, click here.

Past winners have included Amy Packer, Lucy Gornall, Jo Waters, Alice Smellie, Dr Hilary Jones, Caroline Jones, Jerome Burne, Sarah Stacey, Victoria Lambert, Sarah Hartley, Gill Cox, Jennifer Harper-Deacon, Dr Chris Steele, Dr Tom Stuttaford, Mark Atkinson, Michael van Straten, Amanda Ursell, Susan Clark and Dr Sarah Brewer.

2019 Awards

Maurice Hanssen Award of Honour – John Frisby

John’s career is both extensive and impressive, beginning in 1977 with the creation of his own health food shop ‘Food for Living’, driven by his quest for a natural way to treat the digestive problems he had suffered in his teens.

His role in the industry became more influential when he was invited to join the Health Food Institute as a Board member and was honoured to be asked to become Chair of the institute where he has now served in that role for the last 11 years. As Chair, John injects tireless energy into promoting training and knowledge as the cornerstone of the industry, and ensuring the highest standards of excellence are met by all health food retailers and their staff. To see the press release for this award, click here.

Past winners are Robert Wilson, Lisa Bradley, David Adams, Dr Kartar Lalvani, Michael Evans, Barry Vickers, Professor David Richardson BSc, Eammon Reagan, Professor Arnold Beckett, Rand Skolnick, Jan de Vries, Derek Shrimpton, Sue Croft, Brian McLoughlin, Penny Viner, Ray Hill, Maurice Hanssen, Kell Sainsbury, Keith Pollitt, Colin Tophill, Roger Lane, Ian Martin and Dame Barbara Cartland.

Journalist of the Year – Amy Packer

2019 year’s Journalist of the Year award winner Amy Packer is an influential health editor for Reach PLC – one of Britain’s biggest newspaper groups, that includes the Daily Express, Daily Mirror and Daily Star.

Amy is an experienced journalist with over 20 years in the industry. Over the years, Amy has written about a huge range of health topics from cancer to sleeplessness and focuses on providing realistic and practical tips that readers can try whatever their budget, age or circumstances. To see the press release for this award, click here.

2018 Awards

Maurice Hanssen Award of Honour – Robert Wilson

Robert’s career in the natural health industry has been a long and successful one, joining the family company, Nelsons, in 1987 after graduating from Trinity College, Dublin. Beginning in marketing, he became Managing Director in 1991, before assuming Chairmanship of the company in 2000.

As well his ‘day job’ at one of the most successful natural health companies in the industry, Robert is Chairman of the BAHM – the British Association of Homeopathic Manufacturers – and is a passionate advocate of complementary medicine and Natural Healthcare. He takes on many active roles across the natural healthcare industry, and has worked with numerous trade bodies and associations, both in the UK and around the world. To see the press release for this award, click here.

Journalist of the Year – Lucy Gornall

 

2018 Journalist of the Year award winner Lucy Gornall is an influential health and fitness editor for some of the most well-known women’s magazines in the country. As well producing freelance fitness content for big names, Lucy currently edits the health and fitness content for seven magazines covering some of the biggest titles on the newsstand, including Fit & Well, Woman’s Own, Woman, Pick Me Up and Chat Magazine. To see the press release for this award, click here.

2017 Awards

Maurice Hanssen Award of Honour – Lisa Bradley

Lisa Bradley won for her dedication and passion towards communicating the developments and achievements of the sector for over two decades. Lisa founded Pegasus PR in her 20s with just one client, setting up as a limited company in 1995, when she acquired her first natural health clients. Pegasus is now the largest PR agency outside London, and a 5-time Agency of the Year Award Winner in 2016. To see the press release for this award, click here.

Journalist of the Year – Jo Waters

Jo Waters is a freelance health and medical writer for national newspapers and magazines. She is a regular feature writer for the Daily Mail’s Good Health section, an extensive list of consumer magazines and web sites and the author of several health books. To see the press release for this award, click here.