Northern Lincolnshire Business Awards 2008

Spectacular! Spectacular!

Lee Sowerby, Production Manager, Timberland Motorhomes
Grimsby Institute of Further & Higher Education SME Manager of the Year
Photo: Dave Moss

The Chamber was proud to host the 7th annual Northern Lincolnshire Business Awards at Grimsby Auditorium on 20th June. A fantastic opportunity for the south bank business community to get together and celebrate business success in the region. And celebrate they did!

After a warm welcome by Chamber President Carol Thomsett, Tom Riordan, Chief Executive of Yorkshire Forward took to the stage and spoke of the importance and the work of the Regional Development Agency in the Northern Lincolnshire Area. Attendees listened intently as he proffered an apology for mistakes the RDA had made in the past, resulting in negative feelings and lack of participation in Northern Lincolnshire. He went on to say that those early mistakes had been rectified and out of an annual budget of £300 million our area was now working with the RDA and attracting its fair share of that all important funding necessary to grow the local economy and assist with the area’s position as the ‘Gateway to Europe’. Tom’s speech was very warmly received before guests went on to enjoy a ‘French’ styled three course Dinner.

The curtains then opened for a Moulin Rouge show with bespoke entertainment from Can Can girls, jugglers, fire breathers, stiltwalkers and even an Australian aerial artiste to amaze us with her strength and dexterity. Walkabout entertainment throughout the whole evening was provided by arts students from Grimsby Institute of Further & Higher Education who were absolutely brilliant! They threw themselves into role as Moulin Rouge characters and treated guests to chocolate cigars and favours , fans, feather boas and masks. The Charity Raffle, announced by Peter Everett Chair of N E Lincs and Jacqui Johnson Chair of N Lincs raised approx. £2700 for the two nominated charities, St Andrew’s Children’s Hospice and Young Enterprise.

It was then time for those all important Awards – 12 in total for new, old, small and large businesses. Companies cheered as their team members collected awards and watched ‘snapshot’ VT footage of their companies filmed by Savilles and shown on the three big screens in the auditorium. A special lifetime achievement award, presented by Austin Mitchell MP, was given by the Chamber to Dudley Ramsden, whose name has become synonymous with retail and wholesale businesses in the area. The other Awards were presented in inimitable style by the beautiful Helen Fospero of Channel 5, who made her way out to the foyer after the official presentation to have further photographs taken and present runners-up plaques to the other nominees.

All in all a night to remember and a fantastic way to pay homage to the cream of the crop of local business talent. Only problem is, how on earth do we top that in 2009? Answers on a postcard please to Anne Tate at the Northern Lincolnshire Office!

For more information on the Awards contact Anne Tate:
a.tate@hull-humber-chamber.co.uk
Tel: 01472 342981