Dawn Gibbins
Encyclopedia
Dawn Gibbins MBE is a British entrepreneur who started commercial and industrial flooring company Flowcrete in 1982 in south Cheshire, England
, with her late father, Peter Gibbins. She oversaw its international and domestic growth, covering 30 offices worldwide and 12 manufacturing sites in the UK, Asia, Sweden, Belgium, South Africa, US and Brazil. Flowcrete was sold to New York Stock Exchange
listed company RPM
in April 2008.
Since the sale, Gibbins has launched a flooring business aimed at homes, Barefoot Living, based in Congleton
, South Cheshire, England, along with a social enterprise
Barefoot Feng Shui. Gibbins is a keen feng shui
practitioner, and sees that the clear, uncluttered philosophy supports a holistic approach
to UK lifestyles, both in the home and in business.
Her career achievements include the award of an honorary doctorate
from Manchester Metropolitan University
in 2004, the Veuve Clicquot
Business Woman of the Year accolade in 2003 and an MBE
in 1994. She has also been made a ‘Pioneer to the Life of our Nation’ by Her Majesty The Queen
in 2004.
Channel 4 TV series, donating £250,000 to three Bristol
-based charities. Dawn states that the experience of spending 8 days living amongst those in need "changed her life". Charities that received donations at the end of the program were 'The One25 Project', a charity that seeks to enable women who are abused and trapped in a life of street sex-work, the 'Wild Goose Café
' who feed and care for the homeless, sex workers and those battling addiction and the 'Teenage Parents Project' who offer support and guidance to young parents.
In 2010 Dawn returned to Bristol
to film The Secret Millionaire Changed My Life, a follow up to the original broadcast. In the program, broadcast on 11 January 2011, Dawn explained that her experience working with her supported charities had literally changed her life. Talking about the £125,000 donation to the Wild Goose Café
, Dawn explained that she found Assistant Manager Lisa Mannion's 'dream' compelling and she 'wanted to make this girl's dream come true'.
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, with her late father, Peter Gibbins. She oversaw its international and domestic growth, covering 30 offices worldwide and 12 manufacturing sites in the UK, Asia, Sweden, Belgium, South Africa, US and Brazil. Flowcrete was sold to New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
listed company RPM
RPM International
RPM International Inc is a multinational holding company with subsidiaries that manufacture and market high-performance specialty coatings, sealants and building materials. Industrial brands include Stonhard, Tremco, illbruck, Carboline, Flowcrete, Universal Sealants and Euco...
in April 2008.
Since the sale, Gibbins has launched a flooring business aimed at homes, Barefoot Living, based in Congleton
Congleton
Congleton is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Dane, to the west of the Macclesfield Canal and 21 miles south of Manchester. It has a population of 25,750.-History:The first settlements in...
, South Cheshire, England, along with a social enterprise
Social enterprise
A social enterprise is an organization that applies business strategies to achieving philanthropic goals. Social enterprises can be structured as a for-profit or non-profit....
Barefoot Feng Shui. Gibbins is a keen feng shui
Feng shui
Feng shui ' is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. The original designation for the discipline is Kan Yu ....
practitioner, and sees that the clear, uncluttered philosophy supports a holistic approach
Holistic health
Holistic health is a concept in medical practice upholding that all aspects of people's needs, psychological, physical and social should be taken into account and seen as a whole. As defined above, the holistic view on treatment is widely accepted in medicine...
to UK lifestyles, both in the home and in business.
Her career achievements include the award of an honorary doctorate
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
from Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University is a university in North West England. Its headquarters and central campus is in the city of Manchester, but there are outlying facilities in the county of Cheshire. It is the third largest university in the United Kingdom in terms of student numbers, behind the...
in 2004, the Veuve Clicquot
Veuve Clicquot
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin is both a champagne house in Reims, France, and a brand of premium champagne. Founded in 1772 by Philippe Clicquot-Muiron, Veuve Clicquot played an important role in establishing champagne as a favored drink of haute bourgeoisie and nobility throughout Europe...
Business Woman of the Year accolade in 2003 and an MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1994. She has also been made a ‘Pioneer to the Life of our Nation’ by Her Majesty The Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
in 2004.
Public speaking
Dawn is invited by companies, groups and organisations around the world to give keynotes, talks, workshops, and masterclasses on a variety of subjects.Secret Millionaire
Dawn was featured in a 2009 episode of the Secret MillionaireSecret Millionaire
The Secret Millionaire is a reality television show which originated in the UK, in which millionaires go incognito into impoverished communities and agree to give away tens of thousands of pounds . Members of the community are told the cameras are present to film a documentary...
Channel 4 TV series, donating £250,000 to three Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
-based charities. Dawn states that the experience of spending 8 days living amongst those in need "changed her life". Charities that received donations at the end of the program were 'The One25 Project', a charity that seeks to enable women who are abused and trapped in a life of street sex-work, the 'Wild Goose Café
Wild Goose Café
- Purpose :The Wild Goose Cafe is a project run by Crisis Centre Ministries, or 'CCM', a Christian run local charity based in Bristol, England, United Kingdom...
' who feed and care for the homeless, sex workers and those battling addiction and the 'Teenage Parents Project' who offer support and guidance to young parents.
In 2010 Dawn returned to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
to film The Secret Millionaire Changed My Life, a follow up to the original broadcast. In the program, broadcast on 11 January 2011, Dawn explained that her experience working with her supported charities had literally changed her life. Talking about the £125,000 donation to the Wild Goose Café
Wild Goose Café
- Purpose :The Wild Goose Cafe is a project run by Crisis Centre Ministries, or 'CCM', a Christian run local charity based in Bristol, England, United Kingdom...
, Dawn explained that she found Assistant Manager Lisa Mannion's 'dream' compelling and she 'wanted to make this girl's dream come true'.
Other references
- David Johnson, "Feng Shui is guiding Dawn into new start", The Sentinel, April 9, 2008
- Rachel ElnaughRachel ElnaughRachel Elnaugh is a British entrepreneur, who came to prominence as an investor on the first two seasons of BBC Two's TV show Dragons' Den, in which hers was the sole female perspective alongside four male entrepreneurs known as the Dragons.-Early life:Her family lived above her father's...
, "Life after the business nightmare",Sunday TelegraphSunday TelegraphThe Sunday Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper, founded in February 1961. It is the sister paper of The Daily Telegraph, but is run separately with a different editorial staff, although there is some cross-usage of stories...
, April 27, 2008 - Matthew Rock, "Stars of the Stage", Real Business, September 1, 2008
- Philip Beresford, "Not just business as usual", Management Today, January 1, 2009
- Patrick O'Neill, "Congleton, the capital of feng shui", Cheshire Life, February 1, 2009
External links
- Dawn Gibbins' website
- Daily Record Interview, January 7, 2011