A North Yorkshire woman was one of 18 entrepreneurs who are turning ideas into start-ups thanks to a two-week entrepreneurship programme.

The NatWest-supported Sisterhood Summer initiative, delivered in partnership with social enterprise Sisterhood, targets females aged 18 to 21.

Participants work to develop business concepts that address some of the world’s biggest social and environmental challenges.

Bel Mellor, originally from near Tadcaster in North Yorkshire, recently completed Sisterhood Summer with her business idea Folio: Thrive to Create.

Bel is a filmmaker, photographer and writer studying Film Production at the University for the Creative Arts.

Her venture aims to help young creatives build portfolios, confidence and professional opportunities through creative challenges, networking and community support.

Emily Fallon, director at NatWest Accelerator and a mentor on the scheme, said: "The gender start-up gap is often talked about as an investment problem.

"But it starts much earlier than that, in classrooms, colleges, confidence, and in who young women see building businesses.

"Sisterhood Summer proves that magic can happen when you bring incredible women together, with experienced female founders sharing real-world advice, NatWest leaders opening up about overcoming imposter syndrome, and our accelerator team delivering pitch coaching based on the same techniques used with some of the UK’s fastest-growing start-ups.

"Since NatWest began supporting Sisterhood Summer, 84 social-led businesses have been started or developed through the programme, showing what can happen when young women are backed from the very first idea.

"NatWest is proud to help support and inspire the next generation of founders."

The latest scheme saw the participants pitch their business ideas during a special event at Canva’s London office.

Among the concepts were an autism-inclusive childrenswear brand, a financial literacy platform for teenagers, and new schemes to expand opportunities for women in sport.

The programme is delivered in partnership with NatWest Thrive, the bank’s financial education programme, and has supported 84 social business ideas since launching in 2022.

It has reached young women in 27 cities and delivered 466 hours of entrepreneurial content, with support from more than 200 designers, experts, mentors and NatWest colleagues, alongside 12 business and community partners.

Rebecca Thomson, co-founder of Sisterhood, said: "We started Sisterhood as students the same age as the changemakers, with an idea and each other.

"Every young woman on that stage has walked the same path in two weeks that took us years, from idea to plan to pitch, surrounded by a sisterhood that believes in her."

Demand for the programme continues to rise, with 395 expressions of interest for the 2026 intake — a 58 per cent increase from 2025.

More than half of eligible applicants requested scholarships, highlighting the importance of removing financial barriers to participation.