Leading businesses from across Cheshire are celebrating after winning prizes at the prestigious High Sheriff’s Awards for Enterprise.The winners were announced at a special ceremony and dinner held in the Molloy Hall at the University of Chester on Wednesday, March 23.
Founded in 2006 by former High Sheriff of Cheshire and now Lord Lieutenant for Cheshire, David Briggs MBE, the Awards for Enterprise are judged on categories including: Innovation; Corporate Social Responsibility and Enterprise. The entrants are also required to explain how they will ensure how their company will continue to grow in the future.
The guest speaker was Malcolm Walker CBE, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Iceland Foods Limited, one of the region’s most high profile businessmen. Guests at the event were welcomed by the University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Tim Wheeler and Professor Phil Harris, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business, Enterprise and Life Long Learning and holder of the Westminster Chair of Marketing and Public Affairs at the University of Chester.
The current High Sheriff of Cheshire, Diana Barbour, said: “We have had some exceptional entries this year and given the extremely challenging trading conditions, to see such a diverse group of businesses that are all prospering is quite remarkable, not to say hopeful, for the future for us all.”
First place in the High Sheriff’s Awards for Enterprise, with a free place for one of its employees on the Chester Business School’s MBA valued at £10,000, is Click Consult. The firm is a leading internet marketing and web development agency in the UK and worldwide. Since 2003, Click Consult has been practicing expert marketing and technical techniques for hundreds of businesses worldwide. It employs more than 60 search engine marketing professionals with offices in Hooton, Cheshire and London.
Matt Bullas, Managing Director at Click Consult said: “I’d personally like to extend my thanks and warmest gratitude to everybody who’s helped get Click Consult to its current level.
“Winning the High Sheriff’s Award for Enterprise is a testament to all the hard work we have put into Click Consult as a collective, driven, professional unit over the years, and we are all proud of coming first in such a tough competition. This is a marker of success for the business, and we plan to use it as a springboard to approach bigger challenges in the near future.”
Highly commended was Amita (UK) Ltd an award winning IT support company based in Middlewich, Cheshire. It provides computer support, development, services and robust technologies to the business community. Using tried and trusted solutions from industry leading IT suppliers, Amita has vast experience in deploying cost-effective and manageable information technology in the workplace.
The winner of the Bank of America Award for Corporate Social Responsibility with a prize of £3,000 was The Petty Pool Trust, College and Outdoor Centre based in Sandiway. The Petty Pool Trust Outdoor Centre runs residential experiences for young people with learning disabilities, mainstream schools, colleges, teacher INSET days and corporate businesses from throughout the UK and Europe. Petty Pool College offers a wide range of Entry Level courses to students from across Cheshire and Halton. Most of the students are aged between 16 and 25 years of age. They come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some come straight from school, others from different colleges, day services or from home.
Peter Evans MBE, Chief Executive of The Petty Pool Trust, said: “This prestigious award is in recognition of the many years of hard work and dedication from the staff at The Petty Pool Trust. We as managers are very proud of the commitment and the achievements of the college and outdoor centre which make up the Trust.
“This award in particular is an amazing accomplishment and we would like to take this opportunity to thank the High Sheriff for choosing The Petty Pool Trust.”
Highly commended was Applewood Wealth Management which is based in Chester and Oswestry and offers a wide range of high quality wealth management services to businesses and individuals. With over 900 clients and many millions of pounds of funds under management, it is well established as one of the UK’s leading wealth management organisations and was awarded a Best Investment Adviser Award 2009. Applewood Wealth Management brings together some of the most experienced, able and highly-regarded professionals working in financial services today.
The winner of the Mornflake Oats Awards for Innovation worth £3,000 was GSD, Graham Shapiro Designs. Based in Nantwich, GSD’s areas of experience include advertising, brochures, catalogues, corporate identity, marketing, newsletters, newspapers, packaging, presentations, public relations, stationery and websites.
Graham Shapiro, Managing Director at GSD said: “I’m proud and honoured to have received this prestigious award. It’s great that The University of Chester and associated sponsors have recognised GSD for its innovation and creativity. And with a great team, clients and suppliers that support me, they have helped GSD get to where we are today.”
Highly commended in this category was Certero, a specialist software vendor of Software Asset Management and PC Power Management solutions. Based in Warrington, with offices in Australia and South Africa, Certero delivers innovative solutions to help organisations remove complex processes to drive efficiencies in their IT investments. Certero’s clients are drawn from across the public and private sectors and its solutions have enabled organisations to cut C02 emissions and save thousands on licensing expenditure.
Professor Phil Harris said: “It’s fantastic to see so many innovative businesses doing well in Cheshire and being showcased by the High Sheriff’s Awards. It is very heartening to be surrounded by such talent and hard work at this event.”
The Awards prize fund was made possible thanks to significant contributions from the following international and regional sponsors including Barclays Bank, Bank of America, Bolesworth Estate, Cheshire East Council, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Flowcrete, Halton Borough Council and Mornflake. The High Sheriff’s Awards for Enterprise represents one of the highest values of any competition of its kind in the country.
ENDS
Caption
All the winners
John Lea Chief Executive of Mornflake , Malcolm Walker C.B.E – Keynote Speaker. – Founder & CEO, Iceland Foods Limited , Diana Barbour, Matt Bullas, Managing Director Click Consult ( winner of High Sheriff’s Award for Enterprise supported by Barclays) Graham Shapiro Managing Director GSD , Peter Evans MBE, Chief Executive The Petty Pool Trust , Professor Tim Wheeler Vice Chancellor, University of Chester
Contact Click Consult:
Susie Hood
Click Consult,
Unit B1, Willow House,
Oaklands Office Park,
Hooton Road, Hooton,
Cheshire,
CH66 7NZ
Tel: 0845 205 0292
Email: pr@clickconsult.com
Contact:
Jayne Dodgson
Director of Corporate Communications
+44 (0)1244 511450
07841 250221
Gemma Sproston
Communications Officer
+44 (0)1244 513335
07917 591437
Alex Williams
Senior Communications Officer
+44 (0)1244 511706
07768 671436
www.chester.ac.uk
