Pictured: Denys Shortt (centre) receives the Local Hero of
Enterprise award
On a star studded evening of entrepreneurs in London including
James Caan, Julie Meyer and Will King - the Growing Business Awards
celebrated the best of British Business.
Created by Real Business and the CBI in 1999, the Growing
Business Awards are the most established recognition for UK
independent and entrepreneurial businesses.
This year's event kicked off the first Global Entrepreneurship
Week - where enterprise activity is being championed across the
world.
A new award for "Local Hero of Enterprise" was won by Denys
Shortt, founder of DCS Europe and Chairman of the Coventry &
Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership.
Declan Curry - presenter for BBC Business News - announced the
award:
"Former England Hockey player, highly successful entrepreneur
and proud son of Stratford-upon-Avon, Denys Shortt commits himself
to a huge array of local community projects - from supporting the
town's football club to mentoring business owners to launching an
ambitious new project to place helipads on rooftops alongside
accident and emergency wings.
The award was presented by Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for
Communities & Local Government who said:
"He is my local hero because of his work with the Coventry &
Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership - When other partnerships
were looking for guidance from the government he just got on with
it."
On receiving his award Denys Shortt said: "I have realised life
is not just about making money - it's about helping others along
the way.
"Being Chair of the Local Enterprise Partnership has been one of
the most challenging but satisfying things that I have ever
done.
"LEPs are good news. I would highly recommend that business
owners get involved. For the first time ever the Government is
asking business leaders to help shape the future of our
country."
Matthew Rock, co-founder of Real Business, described the winners
as "beacons of light for Britain and testament to the
entrepreneurial talent, innovative thinking and business acumen
that we have in this country."
The Growing Business Awards are supported by Coutts, Visa, Land
Rover, Bird & Bird, Cavendish, WorldSkills UK, Grant Thornton
and Cass Business School.
Previous Growing Business Awards winners have included
entrepreneurial champions such as Autonomy, Stylist,
Moneysupermarket.com and DVD rental giant LOVEFiLM.