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Night of celebration at the Fenland Business Awards gala




Friday night was a night celebrating the best of Fenland business from young people starting out in their careers as apprentices to well established firms showing how it’s done.

The first Fenland Business Awards were the first to be brought to the district by Iliffe Media, publishers of the Fenland Citizen, and were a huge success with a packed Braza Club in March seeing scenes of delight as the winners were announced.

There were 12 awards up for grabs and it is fair to say competition in each of the categories was fierce with judges in each exclaiming how hard it had been to choose just one a winner.

Fenland Business Awards night..Winners. (63322613)
Fenland Business Awards night..Winners. (63322613)

The evening began with a wine reception provided by the evening’s associate sponsor broadband provider Upp.

It was then time for the welcome speeches with Master of Ceremonies Matt Biggin introducing Citizen editor Jeremy Ransome to the stage for his welcoming speech, in which he pointed out that whilst it may be a cliché, it is nonetheless true, and that just being there on Friday night people and firms were already winners.

He spoke of the pride the Citizen and Iliffe Media in bringing the awards back to Fenland and the hope that the evening’s event was the first of many over the year’s to come.

Fenland Citizen Business Awards. (63327236)
Fenland Citizen Business Awards. (63327236)

It was then time to hear from our headline sponsor Whitings LLP who expressed their delight and honour at being involved in the awards.

A short video explained why they felt it was so important for them to be involved and why it is also valuable to celebrate our local business community and its diversity.

This was followed by a delicious three course meal before it was time to get down to the real business of the evening - the presentation of the awards which was hosted by locally-based journalist David Blackmore.

Fenland Citizen Business Awards. (63327235)
Fenland Citizen Business Awards. (63327235)

David, who has 17 years experience as a multi-media journalist covering some of the biggest stories in the UK and abroad, can be seen regularly on TV screens as the roving reporter on ITV’s This Morning.

First up was the Best New Start-up which was won by Jamie Coombs of March Fast Fit and Servicing (interview and photos here).

Best Social Enterprise went to FACT - Fenland Association for Community Transport (interview and photos here).

Independent Retailer of the Year was won by Harrison Coley Opticians (interview and photos here).

Business Innovation went to Build a Brand (interview and photos here).

While Fenland Families and Baby Bank scooped the Customer Care Award (interview and photos here).

Environmental Champion Award went to Goldstar Metal Traders (interview and photos here).

Harry Turner of Tydd St Giles Golf and Country Club was winner of the Apprentice/Trainee of the Year (interview and photos here).

Employee of the Year was won by Joanna Ring of Abtec 4 Abrasives (interview and photos here).

The Readers Choice Award was won by Stuart Harris and RKA Kickboxing Academy (interview and photos here).

Businessperson of the year saw Build a Brand pick up a second award with its Gemma Alexander taking the title (interview and photos here).

Business of the Year was won by Swann Edwards Architecture (interview and photos here).

And the final gong of the night, the Judges Prestige Award which was won by the Secret Garden Touring Park (interview and photos here).

It was an amazing night and it showed just what an amazing and varied business community we have here in Fenland.

Sharron Marriott, events manager for Iliffe Media thanked our sponsors , judges and supporters who were: Biotech4; Clarion Futures; Fraser Dawbarns; Gary Robinson of Paragon Motors; Growth Works; Iain Kirkbright of Chaos Internet; Mapus-Smith and Lemmon; Stephenson Smart; The College of West Anglia, Upp and Whitings LLP.

Full stories, photographs and interviews focussing on each of our winners will be in this week's edition of the Fenland Citizen.



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