An ENTREPRENEUR from Southampton has been shortlisted for a national award and needs the help of her community.

Becky John is the brains behind Who Made Your Pants?, an underwear company supporting women from refugee backgrounds.

The company has been running for more than six years and Becky is now up against five finalists for the Lloyds Bank and Bank of Scotland Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2014 Award – and a chance to win £10,000.

Each finalist is about to graduate from the Lloyds Bank and Bank of Scotland Social Entrepreneurs Programme, which teams up with the School for Social Entrepreneurs to provide financial and learning support, including a business mentoring scheme.

Becky’s inspiration for her company was that she really likes pants, doesn’t like wearing clothes made in sweatshop conditions, and she knows that refugee women are alone for the majority of the day, which can lead to personal and social problems.

She now employs eight women from refugee backgrounds in her ethical underwear factory in Northam, Southampton, as well as providing employability training to a further 65 women and a waiting list of 75 women wanting to find work.

Becky said: “I feel fortunate to have learned from a fantastic team and work with other social entrepreneurs.

“Winning the award would be a fantastic achievement for us and would allow us to increase the employment hours of our staff, enabling us to increase production, sales and employment.”

Now the decision is down to a public vote, which closes on October 31. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, November 5, at a ceremony in London To vote, visit the-sse.org/ SEYA. To find out more about Who Made Your Pants? visit whomadeyour pants.co.uk.