Two national Highly Commended awards are in the bag for this hard-working chemist and STEM promoter.

Rebecca Ballantyne was thrilled to be nominated for Outstanding Contribution to Widening Participation, Diversity and Inclusion in STEM, and Young Woman of the Future for her impressive work with children and young adults, and was blown away to win both Highly Commended awards earlier this month.

The mum-of-one thrives in her STEM work, encouraging young women in particular to pursue a career in science, as well as lecturing at the University of Cumbria.

And with a non-stop working life, being a senior technologist at Sellafield and recently becoming a member of Women in Nuclear, Rebecca's busy week of awards ceremonies was no different.

The Carlisle woman's wins kicked on November 5 at the House of Lords, where she received the Outstanding Contribution's Highly Commended award.

The achievement was followed by her second win two days later at the London Hilton, accompanied by Sellafield co-worker and WIN member Clare Macauley, where Rebecca was named a Highly Commended Young Woman of the Future.

Commenting on the "absolutely fantastic week", Rebecca said: "I felt so inspired after listening to the stories of other women who had battled and triumphed against inequality, and incredibly humble to be shortlisted alongside so many incredible women."

She added: "I'm incredibly proud to have represented Sellafield Ltd, WIN Cumbria and our community in Cumbria on a national stage.

"I was able to discuss the amazing work being carried out in our area, and to also share my passion for science. I'm looking forward to building on this recent success, and continuing to promote equality and inclusion on a wider scale."

For more details on STEM and Women in Nuclear, visit www.stem.org.uk and www.nuclearinst.com/Women-in-Nuclear-UK.