Celebrating the best in local business (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)
Get involved: send your pictures, video, news and views by texting WGS NEWS to 80360, or email
us
Celebrating the best in local business at the Fairford and Lechlade Business Club awards
8:00am Saturday 2nd February 2013 in News By Laura Shack
Business club vice chairman Helen Webb, with (from left to right) business student winner Georgia Holland and runners up Claudia Mears, Bryony Stephens and Hugh Campkin (picture by Chris Roberts)
FAIRFORD and Lechlade’s brightest and best businesses converged last weekend for an annual celebration of local success.
In its sixth year, more than 100 people attended the Fairford and Lechlade Business Club Awards, which was held at The Crown of Crucis Hotel at Ampney Crucis on Friday night.
The event recognises company excellence and achievement, as well as the potential of young entrepreneurs from Farmor’s School, in Fairford.
With so many budding business moguls at the school, the judges found picking one winner tricky.
But Georgia Holland’s solid idea for a campervan hire company, backed up with thorough research and financial information bagged her the prize for Most Outstanding Business Student of the Year.
The Year 11 student said she was “very happy and honoured” to have won.
Karen Brathwaite, Georgia’s Business teacher, added that Georgia was a deserving winner because she had worked so hard on the project.
Taking the top prize at last week’s event was Moore, Allen and Innocent, in Lechlade, which was awarded Business of the Year. The judges called the company a "stalwart of the business community" and said that recognition was deserved after more than 100 years of providing local employment and services.
Other winners included new Lechlade dental practice, DentArtWork, which took home New Business of the Year and small pet boarding company Lizzie’s Little Lodgers, in Lechlade, which won Most Innovative Business.
The hotly contested Business Person of the Year award went to Neil Dowler, of Fairford Roof Tiles.
The judges said Neil was a deserving winner after showing tenacity in continuing to adapt and grow the business following the death of his father, Howard Dowler, in 2009.
"It shows true grit and determination – particularly being in the building trade in the current economic climate," a judge said.
Finally, the Howard Dowler Award, which was created in the founder business club member and former Fairford town councillor's memory, was awarded to Bob Warren of the Trout Inn, in Lechlade, for his outstanding contribution to the community in raising thousands of pounds for charity.
To find out more about the business club and upcoming events, visit flbc.org.uk or email admin@flbc.org.uk
