A YOGA instructor from Malvern is celebrating after a prestigious award win.

Alexandra Jones teaches at Centre of the Hills, has been a yoga instructor for the last 17 years, and has been awarded Yoga Studio of the Year in the Central England Prestige Awards.

Alongside her regular classes, Mrs Jones also runs woodland retreats and workshops for businesses sharing meditation and relaxation tips.

Businesses she has helped include QinetiQ and Midlands colleges.

She said: "My business is different, Yoga for all, accessible, friendly and welcoming, whether you have health problems, any size or shape, any fitness levels welcome here and non competitive. A wonderful community has formed."

Before the first Covid lockdown, Mrs Jones was named among the top 30 yoga studios in the country, but had to switch overnight to online business.

This actually saw her work flourish.

She added: "The Wheel of Life Centre shut down, but my students stayed with me thankfully and flourished, also a new strand of business was born, Woodland Relaxation Retreats, in the gorgeous woodland in Herefordshire, at Woodland Tipis and Yurts Holidays.

"These are now run a few times a year.  

"The Centre of the Hills opened up after lockdown and I was invited to join as the resident yoga teacher by Dr Elise Kearney who opened the new centre.

"My amazing students and new faces came back and new people  joined, a fantastic community has grown and continued.

"I am over the moon to win this award and I am so grateful to all my wonderful students."

The Prestige Awards celebrate excellence in business across the country.

Communities nominate businesses who have excelled in their field before the Prestige Awards judging panel decides on the winners.

All shortlisted companies put forward in the Prestige Awards are asked to support their nomination with evidence of their work, positive feedback from their clients, information on previous accreditation and recognition as well as highlighting the most outstanding parts of their businesses.

The winners selected are those who can best demonstrate their strengths in these areas.

All winners are featured in a celebratory awards magazine, published both digitally and in print, which is circulated to Prestige subscribers.