Isabel del Burgo

Isabel del Burgo arrived in the UK eight years ago with limited knowledge of English but a great deal of determination to make her time in the country a success.

She left her home country of Panama after completing her studies and yearning for an adventure overseas.

Isabel joined Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT) soon after completing her MSc in Environmental Science at Brunel University in London. Her interest in all things green began when she was very young, and her passion that we should all do our bit to protect the environment enthuses everyone she comes into contact with.

Peterborough's bold ambition to become the UK's environment capital caught her eye and she moved to the city to pursue a job at PECT.

Delya Tebbs

Women have a wide and varied range of skills, we all know that, but how good is it to be able to relax a hamster?

Delya Tebbs can do all this and more, having trained in the fine art of reiki eight years ago, and became a master of the therapy four years ago.

There is a great deal of pressure in our society to be dynamic, forceful, in your face and on the go around the clock, but there are some people who aren't like that. There are some who are like a breath of fresh air in a polluted, tired world.

And Delya is one of these people.

She is 61 and in her quiet, gentle way uses reiki to help people – and animals – unwind and destress from her home in Nassington, near Peterborough.

"Reiki works well with animals, too," she said. "Because they aren't cynical. You can calm horses down with it, cats, dogs, even a little hamster in your hand."

Trudy Lapinskis

Trudy Lapinskis has battled with reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome (RSD) for more than 10 years now, yet remains positive in the fight to educate others about the disorder.

The 43-year-old, from Whittlesey, first developed RSD after knocking her back on the corner of a table. The syndrome affected her spine, as well as her hands, feet and arms and she was forced to use a wheelchair.

Trudy then suffered another blow when she developed a life-threatening infection in her left leg and doctors said it had to be amputated.

Despite being in constant pain and housebound, Trudy has continuously campaigned to help others with this condition, and has had attended two conferences in the US and taken a petition of 1,700 signatures to Number 10 to raise awareness of RSD among healthcare professionals.

Related: Meet more Women of Achievement Awards 2008 finalists | Full Women of Achievement Awards coverage - www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/woa