Kerry Herbert, a mum who runs two comedy businesses from her home in Hove, was announced as the 2015 National Winner of Home Based Business of the Year, at a sparkling Natwest Venus Awards ceremony in Audley’s Wood, Basingstoke. This follows her regional win last October in the Brighton & Sussex Venus Awards presented at the Brighton’s famous Grand Hotel.
Known as the Working Women’s Oscars, the Venus Awards were formed in 2009 to recognise, reward and celebrate local working women in business.
Kerry, who runs Charity Chuckle at the Komedia raising money and awareness for local charities, has worked with top comedians including Al Murray, Lucy Porter and Stewart Lee.
Kerry said, “I am delighted to have been given this award – I always did like homework! Most of the time I’m at my computer, backstage and incognito, so it’s twice as rewarding to receive business recognition from my peers and be able to slip out of my flats into a pair of Eddie Izzard high heels. It’s a lovely boost for women in comedy too; there are so many working tirelessly behind the scenes – promoters, producers, agents. I’m thrilled to be one of them.”
Stand-Up Marketing and Charity Chuckle has had a busy year, with sold-out shows in Brighton, work on a new festival, and a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe where Kerry produced nine shows, over nine days, for nine Scottish charities with 36 comedians – including Funny Women Awards winners Katherine Ryan and Zoe Lyons alongside runner up Sara Pascoe – as well as promoting debut shows for newer comedians.
Supporting Kerry at the Awards were her friends, Top Banana comedy promoter Bola Ajani, comedy coach Jill Edwards, and comedian and co-promoter of Charity Chuckle, Jim Holland. Also cheering her on were her Mum, sisters and son. The family has had a difficult couple of years: Kerry’s father, horror writer James Herbert, passed away in March 2013. As well as running the comedy businesses, Kerry is a judge of the inaugural James Herbert Horror Award.
Charity Chuckle is on every second Tuesday of the month at the Brighton Komedia.
Stand-Up Marketing is the ONLY bespoke PR and Marketing service to specialise in comedy, and the only one that has direct experience of performance, promotion and production. Take yourself seriously: see www.standupmarketing.co.uk
Pictured: Kerry Herbert with her women’s business award
