Pictured above: Charlotte Prow

The inaugural Midlands Family Business Awards has raised more than £7,000 for three charities that each support young enterprise and young people.

The funds raised by the Awards, which were created as a not-for-profit initiative, have been evenly distributed between the nominated charities - The Children's Society, the Willow Foundation and the Venture Foundation.

The £7,000 was raised through Awards sponsorship from businesses including the headline sponsor RSM Tenon, and through fundraising events, tickets sales for the Awards' presentation ceremony in November and a raffle and auction on the night, which raised over £3,000 of the total fund.

Charlotte Prow, Managing Director of The Wilson Organisation in Nottingham, which has underwritten the Awards, explains: "Right from the outset, the Midlands Family Business Awards were intended as a not-for-profit initiative with all proceeds going to charity.

"Wilsons has long been a company committed to supporting charities through sponsorship, fundraising and mentoring, and the Awards proved a great opportunity to further that commitment."

For one of the charities to benefit from the Awards, the donation is set to support the creation of a new scheme for young people at risk, as Darrell West, Managing Director of the Venture Foundation explains: "We will utilise the donation to support young people at risk by engaging them in succession opportunities in academic, sporting or vocational progression.

"These scholarships will provide equipment, travel costs, coaching, guidance and training and in acknowledgement of the source of the funding behind the scheme, will be branded 'The Wilson Scholarship.'"

The Children's Society helps more than 45,000 children each year, delivering a wide range of expert services to help improve the lives of disadvantaged and disabled children. Through various projects, it helps children with disabilities, those that have run away from home, or are living in poverty.

In Nottingham, The Children's Society Programme manager is Jo Manning, who explains: "The charity runs a Community Mentoring Initiative in Nottingham for children who would benefit from support, advice and guidance during transitional periods in their young lives.   

"Through the Initiative, children are given access to a dedicated, trained mentor with whom they can explore their hopes and dreams for the future, identify goals and make a plan to help them achieve them. We intend to use the generous support of the Family Business Awards to support the mentoring work here in Nottingham. 

"The funds will help fund regular meetings of the children with their mentor and finance their involvement in local community events, such as sporting activities.

"This mentoring scheme is vital to helping these children achieve their aspirations and share positive experiences," says Jo. "Often the challenge for us is recruiting mentors for the children in need."

The Willow Foundation provides 'Special Days' out for seriously ill 16 to 40 year olds in the UK. The special days offer the chance to spend quality time with loved ones, doing something they all enjoy. The charity's co-founder Bob Wilson explains: "The Foundation relies entirely on donations and the money raised through the Awards has been invaluable, and will help us make a real difference to the lives of young adults at a time when they need it most. Donations are the lifeline to funding days that give the seriously quality time out with their families, creating lasting memories of special time together."

Lifting equipment manufacturer Penny Hydraulics based in Derbyshire, was crowned the overall Midlands Family Business of the Year at the Awards' glittering ceremony at the family-owned Thrumpton Hall in Nottingham, when all winners and runners-up in the Awards other nine categories were announced in front of fellow finalists, Awards sponsors and supporters.

Hilary Campton, Project Manager of the Awards comments: "We had 130 entries across the ten categories with each and every one demonstrating the wealth of successful family businesses operating in the region. The Awards also attracted the interest and support of some of the biggest names in business in the Midlands involved as both sponsors and judges, which gave the Awards a lot of credibility.

"The Awards team is already looking forward to and planning for the 2011 Midlands Family Business Awards, details for which will be launched in early Spring."

A full list of the winners and runners-up in the Midlands Family Business Awards 2010 and a gallery from the Awards ceremony can be viewed at www.familybusinessawards.co.uk.

The Wilson Organisation, based in Nottingham, is underwriting the Midlands Family Business Awards. The company provides professional independent insurance, financial, risk management and corporate finance solutions to businesses and individuals both regionally and nationally. It is a Top 100 UK independent broker and has developed innovative solutions through strong relationships with insurers and financial services providers. For more information, visit: www.wilorg.com, or Tel: 0115 942 0111.