Grace Smith, local entrepreneur, shortlisted for four prestigious National Awards

Grace Smith, the driving force behind local businesses Forge Female Fitness and Workforce Wellness, has been named a finalist in four major national awards. These awards recognise the powerful impact of her work on women’s health and workplace well-being.

Forge Female Fitness is celebrating a triple nomination across three prestigious award platforms.

First, the studio has been shortlisted for Health & Wellbeing StartUp of the Year (Northern Ireland) at the UK StartUp Awards 2025, a national celebration of the most innovative and high-impact new businesses across the UK. This recognition reflects Forge’s rapid growth and life-changing results delivered for women locally and globally.

In addition, Forge is a finalist for Best New Business/StartUp at the Belfast Telegraph Business Awards, reinforcing its position as one of Northern Ireland’s most inspiring, community-driven businesses, changing womens lives across all aspects of health and wellbeing.

The studio is also once again in the running for Gym of the Year at the Local Women Sport Awards 2025, an honour it proudly won last year. Known for its welcoming environment, strong community, and empowering coaching style, Forge continues to set the standard for women’s fitness across Northern Ireland.

And the celebrations don’t stop there, Forge’s very own Head Coach, Joanne Hall, has been nominated for Coach of the Year at the Local Women Sport Awards. Joanne’s commitment to building confidence, resilience, and strength in every woman who walks through the doors has earned her this well-deserved spotlight.

At the heart of the workplace wellbeing movement, Grace’s second business, Workforce Wellness, has also secured national recognition. The company has been shortlisted for Best Corporate Healthcare Programme at the Private Healthcare Excellence Awards 2025 for its groundbreaking work with construction leader GRAHAM.

Through a strategic, embedded approach, Workforce Wellness delivered coaching and cultural change that impacted hundreds of employees across multiple locations, using a ground breaking new platform and coaching programme. These latest nominations mark the 12th national award Forge Female Fitness and Workforce Wellness has either won or been a finalist for in the past 12 months alone, a huge milestone that reflects the momentum, mission, and impact of both brands.

Earlier this year, in March, Forge was also awarded Highly Commended – Best Small Business of the Year at the prestigious Women in Business Awards, celebrating the studio’s success, growth, and outstanding contribution to women’s health across Northern Ireland. Speaking on the finalist announcements, Grace said: “We’re incredibly proud to be recognised across both the fitness and workplace sectors. These nominations are a reflection of the real-world change we’re driving every day—from helping women feel stronger in their bodies to reshaping how organisations think about health.”

The winners will be revealed in the coming weeks, but one thing is clear: whether it’s in the studio or the workplace, Grace Smith and her team are redefining what health and wellbeing looks like in modern life in Ballymoney, Northern Ireland, and globally.

Pictured left to right from Forge Female Fitness; Founder Grace Smith, Head Coach Joanne Hall and Nutrition & Mindset Coach Sarah Lacey