Meet The Team: April Chamberlain – Relationships Director

april meet the team

Mum to 2 lovely girls, Anna (13) and Freya (10), married to Nick. Have two pesky cats that are always getting into scrapes and a goldfish who just sulks under his/her plastic bridge. Live in Gilstead, Bingley.

I went to school in Bingley (Bingley Grammar, where I’m now a Foundation Trustee) and then studied Modern History at Oxford University, before deciding to convert to Law. I studied Law for two years at Leeds Metropolitan University and then started a Training Contract with Gordons Wright & Wright Solicitors (now Gordons LLP, who have offices in Leeds and Bradford). After qualifying I became a Commercial and Civil Litigation Solicitor and worked at Gordons then Burr Sugden and then AWB Charlesworth LLP Solicitors (March 2010 – October 2014). I became a partner aged 27 and was the Managing Partner of AWB Charlesworth, before deciding that, after nearly 20 years in the law, I was ready for a complete change of scenery!

Whilst I was a solicitor I was also one of the business owners (having been a self-employed partner in a law firm since 1999), so I do understand the challenges faced by small-medium business owners, having done everything from dealing with business development, risk management, quality marks, staffing, complaints, insurance and IT to moving the bins!

As a working Mum of two and the daughter of a full-time working Mum, I understand the challenges a lot of businesswomen face trying to “be all things to all people” and the support and encouragement which Forward Ladies provides to women in business is very appealing to me. Equality is something I’ve felt passionately about since my student days and I want to work hard to make the world a fairer and brighter place for my own daughters and generations to come.