TWO York businesswomen who were supported by retail entrepreneur Theo Paphitis through his Small Business Sunday campaign met their idol at his annual event.

Wendy Harris, owner of PQ Soy Wax Candles and Laura Clarke, owner of online gift shop Where Bluebirds Fly, both tweeted Theo about their respective businesses last year during Small Business Sunday (SBS) and each was chosen as one of six weekly winners to gain a retweet to his 500,000 followers.

Now the pair have met Theo in person after attending SBS annual event in Birmingham, where they received their winning certificates.

Theo said: “We are thrilled to welcome new SBS members every week and highlight just how important it is to support our small businesses here in the UK.”