Pictured above: Hilary Campton, Director of V Formation
Ltd and Project Manager of the new Midlands Family Business
Awards
The search is on to find the Midlands' best family businesses
and their leaders following the launch of an all-new, prestigious
and not-for-profit set of Awards, supported by eight Midlands's
businesses including Birmingham's RSM Tenon, EFG Private Bank and
Connect Midlands.
The inaugural Midlands Family Business Awards, underwritten by
The Wilson Organisation, will showcase the achievements of family
businesses and their leaders to give the region's best run and most
innovative family businesses the chance to shine.
Together with the Birmingham-based sponsors, the Awards also
have the backing of Young & Pearce Solicitors, Aviva, AXA
Elevate, Blusource and The Mitre Group, with additional support
from Business Link.
The Awards launched at Leicester's Hotel Maiyango at an event
attended by more than eighty representatives of the region's
businesses and leading family-run and owned businesses.
Speaking at the event, Awards' Project Manager Hilary Campton
explained: "The Awards are open to any Midlands-based family
business regardless of their size or industry sector. There is no
charge for making an entry, and submissions can be made easily
online at the Awards' website www.familybusinessawards.co.uk.
"The Awards categories cover our headline 'Family Business of
the year', 'Best development of talent', 'Overcoming adversity',
'Personal excellence', 'Development of international markets',
'Business innovation of the year', 'Fastest growing family
business', 'Commitment to the community', 'Outstanding contribution
by a non-family member', 'Leading adviser to family businesses',
and 'Best newly established family business'.
"Nominations for the Awards open on the 4th May, and entries to
all of the ten categories are free. Businesses can nominate
themselves for as many categories as they wish, and make
submissions on behalf of clients' or friends' family businesses,"
she said.
Designed as a not-for-profit venture, all proceeds from the
Midlands Family Business Awards will go to three charities that
support young enterprise and young people - The Children's Society,
a leading children's charity committed to making childhood better
for all children in the UK, The Willow Foundation that provides
special days for seriously ill young adults, and The Venture
Foundation, which offers educational, health and fitness programmes
to young people considered 'at risk' and who have fallen out of the
education and care system.
Pictured above: Charlotte Prow, MD of The Wilson
Organisation, itself a third generation family business and which
is underwriting the new Midlands Family Business Awards
Charlotte Prow, MD of Wilsons, who runs the business alongside
her sister Annabel, explained: "Our aim is that the Awards will
raise significant funds for these charities which are each focussed
on creating and providing opportunities for young people.
The Awards have secured a panel of independent inspirational
judges drawn from leading family businesses from across the UK, and
includes James Timpson (MD, Timpson), Tim Storer (MD, Pukka Pies),
Peter Thornton (former Chairman of Thorntons plc), Peter Leach
(author, Family Businesses: The Essentials), Grant Gordon (Director
General, Institute for Family Business), Judy Naake (founder, St
Tropez), Carrie Rubins (Director, Pentland Group) and Mark Samworth
(Samworth Brothers).
The panel will complete the first stage of judging in July to
create a shortlist of five in each award category who will then go
forward to the informal interview stage in September. The judges
will then select three finalists in each category with all
individual winners announced at a glittering Awards ceremony on
Thursday 11th November.
For more information and to complete an online entry to the 2010
Midlands Family Business Awards, visit:
www.familybusinessawards.co.uk or contact Wilsons' Marketing
Manager Leah Bradley, email: lbradley@wilorg.com.