Prime Highlights:
- Claire Richards, founder of Dorset Coast Wills, has been recognised in Small Business Britain’s #IAlso100 campaign, celebrating inspiring female entrepreneurs across the UK.
- Alongside running Dorset Coast Wills, Claire mentors new will writers, supports local causes, and promotes sustainability through her raffia craft business, Allthingsraffia.
Key Facts:
- Dorset Coast Wills was founded in 2019 and provides trusted will writing and lasting power of attorney services, with transparency and care at its core.
- Allthingsraffia, founded in the 1990s, is currently the only business in the UK and Europe offering workshops, online courses, and patterns for sustainable raffia craft.
Background:
A businesswoman from Dorset has been named one of the UK’s most inspiring female founders.
Claire Richards, who started Dorset Coast Wills in 2019, has been included in Small Business Britain’s #IAlso100 campaign. The campaign highlights 100 women across the UK who are making a positive impact through their businesses. Claire will be featured alongside other successful female entrepreneurs from across the country.
The campaign recognises women who have made a difference while running successful businesses. Claire has been praised for offering trustworthy will writing and lasting power of attorney services. She is caring, clear about costs and risks, and focused on supporting both her clients and her team.
In addition to her business, Claire mentors new will writers and supports local causes. She works with Macmillan Caring Locally Hospice in Christchurch, providing free wills each month for staff and clients, including important end-of-life documents, showing her dedication to the community.
Claire also runs Allthingsraffia, a business she has developed since the 1990s. It is currently the only business in the UK and Europe offering workshops, online courses, and patterns for raffia crafts. Raffia, grown sustainably in Madagascar, is strong and flexible, and her workshops let people create eco-friendly fashion items while enjoying the mental health benefits of crafting.
On being recognised, Claire said she is proud to be part of the #IAlso100 campaign. She added that her career has had many stages, including family life and starting a new business in her 50s. She hopes her story encourages other women to embrace new opportunities at any age.
Michelle Ovens CBE, founder of Small Business Britain, said it is great to include Claire in this year’s campaign, calling all the women recognised “remarkable role models.”
Claire’s achievement highlights her business skills, her care for the community, and her support for sustainability, serving as inspiration for women across the UK.
