A GROUP of women are celebrating after reaching the last four in a competition for a London community award.

Soroptimists East London (SIEL) sealed a place in the top four of the FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards 2018 in the community award category for London.

Members of SIEL are being rewarded for mentoring women at the Luminary Bakery in Hackney.

The category honours businesses and organisations that work within their communities to provide guidance and support for disadvantaged people.

Nimrat Bains, president elect of SIEL, attended the event at the Radisson Blue Portman hotel.

She says: “We are delighted to reach the top four in the community awards section.

“This is tremendous recognition of the hard work that our members do who give up their time and skills to support voluntary projects.

“The awards were also a great opportunity to showcase the work that the Soroptimists do and raise our profile."

The awards lunch took place on Monday, March 19.

SIEL is part of the Soroptimist’s International, the world’s largest organisation dedicated to serving other women.

The east London branch was founded in 1931 and moved to Woodford Green last year.

Alison Charles, president of SIEL says: "We are a real sisterhood that means that we support each other as members, we support women in East London and also women internationally.”

SIEL meets in the third Tuesday of every month at Woodford Memorial Hall.