A Suffolk start-up business that the owners felt was a "big risk" to launch has been handed a major industry award.

Village resident and businesswoman Farley Boxall, from Long Melford, and 'Breakout' was handed the 'Co-working Business of the Year' title for London and the Southeast of England by a panel of business leaders from Prestige Awards.

Breakout is a start-up business launched last year - an innovative business support and co-working hub.

Farley picked up the award on Tuesday (August 16), and said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to have won this award.

"We took a big risk opening at the end of the lockdown last year but we knew there was an opportunity in this area so took a chance, and now it is paying off."

Farley launched the business after spotting a gap in the market for a hub to assist businesses in reaching their full potential - by providing working space for people, with IT support and printing facilities.

Mother-of-one Farley, who is a member of the triathlon club TRISudbury, said: “With the shift to working from home and more people looking at new opportunities locally, we knew we could offer something to encourage and support people to flourish and succeed in this new working era.”

Breakout hosts exhibitions, workshops and training sessions - with their growing number of business specialists - as well as pop-up shop space for those looking to try out an idea from a high street setting.

She added: “There is so much potential in this area and so many people with great ideas who need that vital, early support to get their ideas off the ground.

“We are so proud to be recognised with this award for providing a setting and the resources to exploit that potential."

Prestige Awards is an organisation that identifies business achievements at a global and regional level.

Founder and CEO of Prestige Awards, Osmaan Mahmood, said: "Although small businesses may not be able to compete with multinational companies on their size and scale, there is a personalised service-driven focus that is often void from large organisations."