Tipped to be great in 2008

3:14pm Monday 7th January 2008

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THE start of a new year often brings with it plans for dramatic changes.

Dropping a dress size or two, changing career, writing that book you've been talking about for years. All those long forgotten ideas creep back to the forefronts of our minds as we become determined that this year will be the one that changes things for us.

To help inspire you to fulfill those dreams, we catch up with three young women who we think are going to be big news in 2008 and find out what they hope the next 12 months has in store for them.

MUSIC: Charley Bird

SINGER Charley Bird is hoping 2008 will be the year she gets signed by a record label.

With a team of top songwriters penning tracks for her and a series of showcases lined up in London, that dream could well turn out to be a reality.

Understandably the 19-year-old from Basildon is feeling pretty optimistic about what the new year may bring.

"I have a new band and we start rehearsals for the promotional album and shows in the new year," she says. "I have a wonderful man in my life, a wonderful supportive mum who has worked so hard to encourage me since I was a little girl.

"I am very lucky to have positive people in my life and my hope is that I will make them all proud of me by going as far as I can with the music," she continues.

"There are showcases coming up and of course, I am keeping everything crossed that someone will like what I do enough to sign me and the band up."

Charley first started singing at the age of 10, and by 13 was in teen band Instinct. After two years with the group Charley went solo and in that same year won a young songwriters competition run by the BBC.

Since then she's been working as a function band singer and more recently as a sessions vocalist for television projects and various albums.

Her hard work is beginning to pay off, and she's managed to catch the attention of a songwriting team who have worked with the likes of Robbie Williams and Delta Goodrum.

" I am keeping everything crossed that 2008 will be my year," says Charley. "It's looking hopeful but I don't take anything for granted. I'm pretty focused as I understand this is an over populated industry crammed with ambitious people so you can't take your eye off the ball and ever get complacent."

As for her dreams for this time next year, she's set her sights high.

"Relaxing in St Lucia after a sell out successful world tour and hit album please," she requests with a smile.

www.myspace.com/charleybirdmusic

SPORT: Kate Cowley

Kate Cowley has been waiting for 2008 for a long time.

The heptathlete, who works as a school sports co-ordinator in Rayleigh, has known that this year would be her make or break year and with a spot at this summer's Beijing Olympics at stake, she's hoping it will be the former.

"There are three places available for my event and two places have already been filled, so there's a big group of us hoping to fill that third spot," says Kate, 26, who trains with Canvey athlete Dean Macey.

It's a fight Kate is well up for. She begins her indoor season this month and then in March she's off to Los Angeles for a month's intensive training before competing in a high profile competition out there. She hopes her performance in that will land her a place in the British Olympic squad.

"I'm quite excited," says Kate. "I don't feel there's a huge pressure on me, I'm just looking forward to getting out there and performing."

International competition is nothing new to Kate. She has represented Great Britain in the long jump, hurdles and heptathlon on over 20 occasions. Unfortunately the last two years have been blighted by injury. Not only has it meant she hasn't been able to compete, but it's also meant she's lost her lottery funding. As a result she's had to pay for her own expensive physiotherapy treatment and daily travel to her training ground at Lee Valley, London.

The injury and expense have caused Kate to question whether to carry on, but with 2008 in her sights she's managed to bounce back. Training is going well and she's hoping to land a sponsorship deal to make the financial side of things easier.

"I never want to look back on my life and think if only," she says. "I want to feel I've achieved everything I could possibly achieve.

It has been hard work and it's almost been like going back to basics with the training, but I think it's worth it.

"It's difficult to explain what it feels like to represent your country, I just feel really proud to do it," she continues. "I think it probably means more now than before because I've had that time out. I don't take it for granted like I used to."

"To get to Beijing has been my goal for a long time. People always look at the Olympics as the ultimate and it will always be something I'll have on my CV. It will also prove to the children I work with that you can achieve things by working hard and to me that's a really important message."

BUSINESS: Katy Geddes

KATY Geddes is hoping for perfection in 2008.

The young business woman will be dedicating the next 12 months to making sure her florist business is spot on before she unleashes her plans for global domination at the end of the year.

Since taking over Belgravia Florist in Benfleet in 2004 she's already made quite an impact. An Echo business award in her first year for best new company was followed by a series of customer service awards, a young woman in business title and a trip to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen alongside a host of other female entrepreneurs. Not bad for a 26-year-old.

With that level of success already behind her, it would be easy for Katy to get swept away and expand her business rapidly, but she's not interested in short term success.

"It would be lovely to have other shops but I don't want to go away from this one until it's absolutely perfect," she says. "I know there's a little bit more I can get out of it before I go and concentrate on somewhere else."

However, once she's satisfied with her Benfleet shop, there's plans for a couple more and also a flower school to train the next generation of florists.

From a family of entrepreneurs, Katy says it's always been an ambition of hers to run her own business. She learnt the trade at Belgravia and when she told then owner Brian Tibbs that it was time for her to move on, he offered to sell her the shop.

"He gave me the best opportunity," says Katy. "Although I do think I had the gift of ignorance in my first year," she smiles. A series of business courses later and there's nothing ignorant about her business style now.

"Taking over the business is the best thing I ever did," she says. "I absolutely love it."

So much so, she'd encourage other women to do the same.

"If you've got a good idea and you've got people around who will help and support you and you've got the vision, drive and determination to make it work, I think you will make it work.

"It was always my ambition, but I've met people who've been in jobs for 10 or 20 years and become stuck in a rut, then they've had this great business idea and have made a real success of it. They've taken the skills from their previous jobs and created fantastic businesses. I don't think it's ever too late for anyone."