Pictured: (l-r) Julia Hartley-Brewer, with Ian Viles and Doug Scott, chairman of the National Enterprise Network

Enterprise agency Erewash Partnership has won a top national business award for its work in promoting and regenerating the borough.

The Partnership has won the National Enterprise Award for Best Local Network or Partnership in what the organisers called an extremely competitive category.

National Enterprise Network said its members are naturally embedded in their local communities and work in partnership with a wide variety of organisations.

This award, one of eight, was designed to emphasise the lengths some organisations have gone to cultivate these relationships.

"Erewash Partnership has developed a fluid, comprehensive network over 17 years, encompassing businesses and organisations from a multiple of sectors and sizes - acting as a focus for all those interested in securing a more prosperous future for the area with enterprise," the network said.

"Thanks to the help of its wider partnership, Erewash is able to offer business support services including networking and events for over 1,500 people each year, as well as the management of less conventional projects such as town centre management and economic development for the borough council."

The news was given to the Partnership board today and chairman Simon Woods said members were delighted.

"Receiving this national award, considering the very high calibre of the competition, is recognition indeed for all that the Erewash Partnership stands for.

"Chief executive Ian Viles and the team have remained focused and committed through some difficult economic times recently.

"Winning this award has, I hope, supported the contribution the Partnership makes into the local community."

Ian said: "I am extremely pleased that our achievements in building an effective business network and wider partnerships have been independently recognised.

"The award says a great deal about the value of the Partnership's role in the local economy and community."

Karl Prosser, company secretary of Ilkeston firm and Partnership member Dales Fabrications said: "This award is very well deserved and does not come as any surprise to those of us who know the Partnership and its work well.

"We have found the Partnership very useful in both networking and in support of both our marketing and commercial activities.

"The Partnership promotes the area and local businesses of all shapes and sizes - retail, manufacturing and commercial - consistently well."

The National Enterprise Network Awards ceremony was hosted by broadcaster and columnist Julia Hartley-Brewer at the Barclays sponsored 2011 National Enterprise Network Annual Conference gala dinner in Stratford-on-Avon. Each award winner was presented with an engraved trophy and a bottle of champagne.

It is the second time that the Partnership, based in Wharncliffe Road, Ilkeston, has won one of the awards - four years ago it won the award for best small agency. The Partnership has more than 400 members.