Family Business Awards to partner with sector’s national flagship awards
The Midlands Family Business Awards is joining forces with one of the country’s leading awards initiatives for the family business sector.
The new partnership brings together the Midlands’ only independent awards for family run firms and the national Family Business of the Year Awards that are organised by the voice of the UK’s family business community, Family Business United (FBU), and are run by champion of the family business sector, Paul Andrews.
For family firms entering the Midlands Family Business Awards, the partnership will deliver even more profile-raising opportunities and the chance to connect with like-minded individuals, as Charlotte Perkins, managing director of The Midlands Family Business Awards organisers, The Wilson Organisation, explained: “Through the partnership with Paul and FBU, finalists in the Midlands Family Business Awards will gain recognition not only across the region, but now also on a national scale.
“If they wish to be shortlisted, all the businesses reaching the final stage of the Midlands awards will be given automatic entry into the regional finals of FBU’s Family Business of the Year Awards, along with any relevant industry and market sector categories, such as the Awards’ Manufacturing, Food & Drink, and Retail awards.
“We hope Midlands-based family firms will take the opportunity to not only shine a light on their work and achievements by entering the sector’s top Awards in the region, but will also embrace this additional incentive to gain even further recognition on a national stage.
“The partnership will give the region’s family businesses a fantastic opportunity to widen the spotlight on their outstanding work, raise their profile, and offers them the chance to join and connect with a broader community of family-run firms.”
The Midlands Family Business Awards’ partnership with FBU replicates Paul Andrews’ successful affiliation with Cumbria Family Business Awards.
“We closely watched FBU’s partnership with the Cumbrian awards earlier this year, and can see it has worked really well, so our partnership will operate in a very similar way,” says Charlotte.
“We will make the process as easy as possible by managing the entries of winners that wish to be involved in FBU’s Awards, by using the same submission form for the Midlands Family Business Awards,” she added.
Nationally recognised for his work with and support of the family business sector, Paul Andrews will join the independent judging panel of the Midlands Family Business Awards, and in turn, Charlotte Perkins will judge a region and category of the FBU Family Business of the Year Awards.
Perkins added: “As a completely independent, not-for-profit awards showcase, our focus is always on celebrating the success and achievements of family businesses across the Midlands and recognising their important contribution to both the UK and Midlands’ economies.
“The partnership will afford family businesses in the region even more exposure and gives us a chance to play an even greater role in raising the understanding, profile and awareness of the incredible work and achievements of all family owned and run firms, and the contribution of the family business sector.”
Paul Andrews, founder and managing director of Family Business United added: “We are delighted to join forces with the Midlands Family Business Awards and see this as a real opportunity to shine more light on a great region and to support Charlotte and the team with their ongoing awards programme.
“The national awards culminate in an evening in London each June, where there is a real appreciation of the diversity and strength of family firms across the UK. With the support of Cumbria and now the Midlands, each year the event gets better and better.
“Awards give the families in business a real opportunity to shout about what they do,” he added. “Family firms are undoubtedly the engine room of the UK economy, generating income, employment and wealth, and the Midlands is no exception. We are truly excited about the partnership and looking forward to meeting some fantastic family firms from the Midlands in due course.”
There is just over a week left to make submissions before the entry deadline of the Midlands Family Business Awards 2018 closes at midnight on the 27th July. Entries are free of charge with ten categories to choose from, and can be made via the Awards website: www.familybusinessawards.co.uk.
For further details or help with entering the Awards, contact: Ped Briggs email: pbriggs@wilorg.com T: 0115 942 0111.
