Trisha Stewart: The Force Behind Ealing's Business Heartbeat

If you’ve ever attended an event hosted by the Ealing Business Club, chances are you’ve felt the ripple effect of Trisha Stewart’s vision and energy. As one of the founding members of the Club, Trisha has spent more than a decade weaving together Ealing’s business, community, and cultural threads into a thriving network of collaboration and support.

The Beginnings of the Ealing Business Club

The Ealing Business Club was born 12 years ago from a simple yet powerful idea: to understand and support the local business landscape. Former Ealing and Acton MP Angie Bray, recognising Trisha’s business expertise and deep ties to the community, approached her with the idea of creating a space where local enterprises could connect, share concerns, and feed back to policymakers. Together, they established the Club as an apolitical platform with a clear aim: to listen to and uplift Ealing's diverse business voices.

From modest beginnings the Club has grown organically into a vibrant collective of over 150 members, representing a spectrum of industries from SMEs and startups to education, arts and sport. “The biggest success, for me, is in the connections and relationships that are made through the Business Club,” Trisha reflects. “That’s how it’s grown.”

“Ealing is still at the heart of the Club but we are mindful that business is without borders:  like-minded people from across West London and beyond are always made welcome.”

A Life of Community-Minded Leadership

Trisha’s work doesn’t stop at the Business Club. Her involvement in the community is extensive and deeply meaningful. As a former Chair of Trustees at Ealing Trailfinders Foundation and a longstanding board member at Make It Ealing (Ealing BID), she has continuously sought to bridge business with the wider community.

For Trisha, the borough isn’t a collection of isolated sectors. It’s a living, breathing whole. “Business, community, education, sport, Arts, they all overlap,” she explains. At Make It Ealing, she helps shape strategies that draw footfall into Ealing Town Centre making it a more attractive destination to live, work, shop and relax. 

Meanwhile, her time with Ealing Trailfinders has seen her help establish the Foundation arm of the rugby club, expanding its reach and impact across the borough. Going to rugby matches has been a steep learning curve for her, despite members of her family being avid fans and participants of the sport. However, she is now a regular in the grandstand, bringing business friends to the matches to raise the profile of the Foundation and to garner interest and support.

One standout initiative? Ealing Business Club’s Annual Charity Golf Day. Trisha admits she knows “absolutely nothing” about golf, as she says, “less than I know about rugby!”. But her talent for organisation shines through. With help from local businesses and the goodwill of the community, the event recently raised over £6,000 for the Trailfinders Foundation. It’s a testament to her belief in collaboration: “working together and goodwill is the big message there.”

“Gangsta Granny” with a Business Edge

Trisha is affectionately known to her grandchildren as “Gangsta Granny” and to her friends as “The Bag Lady”, nicknames that hint at her vibrant personality and unconventional flair. She speaks candidly about the challenges faced by women of her generation in business where work-life balance was often a luxury out of reach.

“You had to be better than the men, work longer hours, and constantly push the glass ceiling,” she says. “It was tough.” Though she missed many school gates and family dinners, her grown-up children recognise her as a role model. Now, in her later years, she embraces a new chapter; one where wisdom, forgiveness, and humour shape her perspective. 

A Borough of Possibility

Having lived in Ealing for many years, Trisha holds a deep affection for her home. “Ealing is a great place to bring up family,” she says, acknowledging both its strengths and its disparities. From its green spaces and schools to its churches, festivals and buzzing diversity, the borough has always offered something special. Its disparities are partly why she gives much of her time to community projects and to the Foundation. “Everyone deserves a hand-up. We should all have the opportunity to be the best we can be”.

She’s also optimistic about the future. With signs of regeneration and inward investment returning to the high street, Trisha stresses the importance of embracing change and innovation, even when it’s difficult. “Innovation is exciting and scary in equal measure, but it is the only way to survive and thrive,” she insists.

Vision for the Future

Looking ahead, Trisha’s focus is on maintaining momentum. Following the Business Club’s 10th anniversary, the team undertook a full rebrand and launched a new website reinforcing their core values: enterprise, community,  a voice. For her, the Club’s role is not just about networking, but about standing up for businesses, especially in post-pandemic recovery, and welcoming the next generation of business innovation.

From holding the council accountable to collaborating with developers and attracting inward investment, the Club aims to be both a critical friend and a creative partner in shaping Ealing’s future. “You’ve got to innovate, be open to new ideas. Listen to and reassure those who are reluctant -  but stay on the journey,” Trisha says.

One of her great joys is seeing the next generation come through: creatives, entrepreneurs, students, and tech minds, ready to make their mark on the borough. And the Club is ready to welcome them all.

Advice for Business and Life

When asked what advice she’d offer emerging entrepreneurs, Trisha explains, “Every person, every business is unique.” But her own guiding principles shine through. Keep learning. Be open to change. Be kind. Be resilient. And her signature piece of advice: “Arrange your face.”

“You often have to work with people you don’t necessarily like or respect. But you have to learn how to do that. Don’t take things personally.” It’s wisdom hard-earned, but generously shared.

From the “extra milers” celebrated at the Club’s December meetings (members who have stepped up during the year to sponsor, donate, give of their time and expertise) to the buzz of quarterly breakfasts where over 70 members gather before sunrise, Trisha Stewart has helped to shape something bigger than a business network. She has helped to shape a community.