Hello and welcome to 

EWiF North East.

I’m Angela, founder and CEO of Lingotot, and North East Regional Chair for EWiF. I founded Lingotot after working as Head of Languages in schools across the UK and internationally where my biggest success was 3 of my pupils ranking in the top 10 in the world for their GCSEs. I started Lingotot when my eldest daughter was 7 weeks old and franchised as my second daughter arrived. I still love teaching and also helping franchisees set up their own Lingotot businesses in the UK and overseas.

I am passionate about franchising and especially EWiF as I truly believe that franchising is the perfect solution for lots of women. It’s ideal for women who want an entrepreneurial professional life with a guiding hand. Networking at EWiF is the perfect home for ladies to explore franchising, whether as a would-be franchisor, a curious potential franchisee or women who are experienced in either!

We are super welcoming, even to the fellas! After all, they are Encouraging Women into Franchising too! So come along to our next meeting and you’ll be sure to make some new friends and learn more about the world of franchising.

I’m Rachel Fay, former primary teacher turned entrepreneur… who is navigating parenthood, business and neurodivergent life. I’m the Franchisor of Little Learners UK & Little Messy Learners Australia which I founded on maternity leave at the age of 24. My vision for the business is to encourage every child to make their mark and ensure that learning to write is fun and taught through play!  

10 years on, I’ve grown a network of franchisees internationally, launched a branded venue, become an author, created an early writing programme; The Mark Makers, mentored businesses, won multiple awards and I now also sit on the board of the CAA as Director of Partnerships. 

At 31, I was diagnosed with severe combined type ADHD. Learning about ADHD and neurodiversity has inspired me to speak out more, spread awareness, encourage open conversation, develop coping strategies and promote authenticity. The response to sharing my journey has been unexpected, but so rewarding. It’s ignited my passion to inspire others to thrive by embracing their quirks and using them to their advantage. 

Bring-a-buddy
This year, we’re running a Bring-A-Buddy scheme, where we are inviting our ambassadors to invite a ‘buddy’ along to any of the EWiF meetings, to see for themselves what we’re all about. We want to encourage more women into franchising for themselves, one of the best ways we believe we can do this, is by expanding our inspirational army of EWiF Ambassadors. Connect your friends to an industry which could enhance their business, or benefit from their services, plus you could win EWiF Ambassador of the Month if your friend(s) becomes an EWiF member!

So, take a look at your inner circle or network. Who are you connected with, and what could they offer to the wider franchise community? Or, how could franchising inspire them to fulfil their true self? Then, just invite them along to the next meeting in your region. If we all invited just one person, and they, in time, invited someone else, through the power of connection EWiF’s impact could really grow in 2024!

2025 Meeting Dates

Photos of our EWiF North East Regional Meetings