Fareham weight-loss coach Joanne wins big at VIP awards

Joanne Collins - also known as Coach Collins - won highly commended with her 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan in the Look Good category at the VIP Awards on October 4.

Hosted by My VIP Card founder Maddy Alexander-Grout, the awards help celebrate Hampshire businesses and to help bring the community together to champion small firms.

Judged by a panel of well-established business owners, 3,000 votes were cast down to the top five.

Joanne, who is from Sarisbury Green, has lost six-and-a-half stone through the Cambridge Weight Plan, which she has maintained for four years and is now a CWP consultant.

She runs her one-to-one private clinics at House of Trinity Salon and says she has helped hundreds of people lose hundreds of pounds.

She said: ‘I am amazed and thrilled to be awarded a local Hampshire award after only two years in business. The 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan worked when nothing else did. I can help you if you have a little - or a lot - to lose. I know how you are feeling.’

The 48-year-old mum-of-two started her business two years ago after quitting her job as a hotel manager.

She decided to lose weight after she was too embarrassed to go swimming on a family holiday to Center Parcs, weighing 17-stone at the time.

She also sponsored a business category and judged the finalists and gave out the winners their awards on the night.

Maddy, who launched My VIP Card in December 2017 after suffering with postnatal anxiety following the birth of her son said: ‘The reason I set up My VIP Card was to help people to shop local, and from this a fantastic VIP community of small Hampshire businesses was born. It felt only right to reward those businesses for the work they do. What an amazing night it was!’