THE owner of a Basingstoke singing group has been listed as one of The Telegraph and NatWest Top 100 Female Entrepreneurs to Watch.

Kat Penn has made it onto the prestigious list – an initiative that shines a spotlight on some of the most exciting female-founded businesses in the UK.

Kat opened VoxFresh Basingstoke in September 2021 after seeing the positive impact singing has on young people at the sister group in Newbury.

VoxFresh caters for young singers aged four-18, singing pop music as a way of teaching them not only singing but personal development.

Kat said: “Watching our young people develop from a shy singer on their first session to someone who helps mentor new singers, performs on stage, or even singing solos is just magical. If we look after the child and focus on building their confidence and self-esteem, then the music just looks after itself.”

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VoxFresh Basingstoke singers have taken part in a number of opportunities since the group opened including the Basingstoke ‘Place to Be Proud’ awards ceremony, album recordings, and even a trip to perform at Disneyland Paris.

“These experiences show our young singers that everything is possible, and they should always aspire to live their dreams with a bit of hard work to get there,” Kat said.

“At the end of the day, we want to bring the positive impact of singing to as many young people as possible. We’re excited to see how we can make that happen in the coming years.”

She has also opened another group in Derby which is run by a local vocal coach.

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In recognition of making the Top 100 list, Kat has been given access to services to help her further flourish, ranging from mentorship, an enterprise health check, media coverage and a parliamentary reception.

Alison Rose, NatWest CEO and a judge for the Highly Commended and Judges’ Choice, noted consistent themes across the businesses that entered: a strong commitment to innovation, a social purpose and scaling up.

She said: “The ambition and resilience of the business owners came across strongly in the applications. Their successes are remarkable and how they explained they would benefit from being part of The 100 made an impression. I’m confident we have some of the most exciting high potential female-owned businesses included in The 100.”