Business in the Community North East Awards for Excellence 2010

Gentoo Housing, John Lewis Newcastle, Esh Group and Castlebeck have all been named as winners of  Business in the Community’s ‘Big Tick’ Awards for Excellence 2010.

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Now in their 13^th year, BITC’s Awards for Excellence recognise businesses who demonstrate the positive impact they have had on society through their operations, and also the business benefits created by ensuring that being responsible is integral to their business model.

This year’s regional winners represent a variety of different sectors and activities.

Gentoo Group’s Young Apprentice Programme provides individual mentoring and work experience opportunities for students who are studying for the BTEC First Diploma at two Sunderland schools.  All the participating students achieved their BTEC First qualification, with an eight per cent increase in predicted grades and a significant reduction in the number of young people who are NEET (Not In Education Employment or Training) after leaving school.

John Lewis Newcastle’s Community Liaison Programme offers help to local charities and community groups through time, resources, fundraising, sponsorship and donations to good causes.  More than 250 organisations were supported through the programme last year, with almost 6,000 hours of staff time provided, as well as financial and in-kind support.

The CREATE Conservation Group is a partnership between specialist healthcare provider Castlebeck and the Maidendale Nature & Fishing Reserve Trust in Darlington which focuses on the ongoing regeneration of a large area of wasteland into a nature reserve.  The work done on site has contributed to a large rise in visitor numbers to the Reserve over the last two years, as well as providing a new collaborative way of working which has been adopted by other Castlebeck units right across the country.

Launched four years ago, construction firm Esh Group’s “Grow With Esh” initiative aims to help young people to develop gardening and horticultural project in or near their school grounds.  Twenty primary schools across the north east are selected to take part every year and are given grants of £750 each to develop their individual ideas for garden concepts, which are then judged and recognised at an autumn prize-giving ceremony.

Esh Group have also been shortlisted for the overall Example of Excellence in  their category, the winners of which will be announced at events in London on the 5^th July which will also celebrate the 25^th Anniversary of HRH The Prince of Wales’s Presidency of Business in the Community.

All the regional award winners received their prizes at a glittering Gala Dinner at the Great North Museum in Newcastle on 30^th June. Other firms honoured on the night included Sage UK for its Unlocking Talent programme, which uses workplace-based learning champions to promote learning to their peers, and Northumbrian Water, for its wide-ranging work on managing the impact of climate change on the UK’s future water requirements.

Karen Wilkinson-Bell, North East Regional Director for Business in the Community, says: “Given the difficult business climate in which everyone has been operating over the last year, the commitment of our Excellence Award winners to supporting the communities in which they work sets an inspiring example for other regional firms to follow.

“These companies, and an ever-growing number of others around our region, are demonstrating on a daily basis that they can operate both sustainably and successfully, and their leadership in difficult economic circumstances when resources are often under great pressure should very much be applauded.”