Red Rose Awards shortlist announced
The shortlist for the 2022 Red Rose Awards, in association with Forbes Solicitors and Barclays, has been announced following a bumper number of entries.
This year’s event will take place just six months after the 2021 ceremony – which was delayed due to lockdown – but that hasn’t stopped organisations from across Lancashire flooding the nominations process with good news stories.
A new category created specifically to recognise micro businesses has proven especially popular and so has the tourism category – despite that being one of the most severely-affected industries over the last two years.
Each shortlisted organisation now has the opportunity to present their case in person to a panel of hand-picked, independent judges and sponsors at a special event on April 27 and 28. All nominees will also be given the support of Sales Geek which will deliver a free-of-charge story-telling masterclass, drawing on their own experiences of winning multiple Red Rose Awards in the past. The judging process is sponsored by RSM.
The judges will then pick a winner in each of the 22 categories, which cover sectors and sizes of business, as well as specific achievements such as customer service excellence and going green.
Oliver Burton, CEO at Forbes Solicitors, headline sponsors of the awards for the twelfth year, said “Shortlisting this year has been a very hard task. Following the pandemic, businesses should be proud of what they’ve achieved and we are still seeing how they have been resilient and adapted to the benefit of their businesses. Congratulations to all and we look forward to meeting them at judging.”
John Stanworth, head of corporate banking at Barclays in Lancashire and Cumbria, a headline sponsor for nine years, said: “As always the award entries have been of a very high standard making judging a very difficult job indeed! Those that have made it through to this stage should be very proud. We are looking forward to meeting the finalists at the next stage and celebrating their successes on the night of the awards.”
Kevin Duffy, regional managing partner for RSM in the North West, who are judging partner for the awards said: “We are very proud to be judging partner for the Red Rose Awards this year. We have seen so many fantastic entries, from both familiar faces and future stars, showing the entrepreneurial and dynamic spirit of the region. We look forward to meeting the finalists at the next stage and celebrating the successes of local businesses on the night of the awards.”
Richard Slater, publisher of Lancashire Business View which organises the Red Rose Awards, said: “The feedback to these awards has been tremendous and we are in awe at the feel-good stories we have seen.
“It’s not been a full year since our last ceremony and we appreciate that many businesses are still in the difficult recovery period, but it is clear that this has done nothing to dampen the enthusiasm Lancashire has for celebrating all that is good about living and working in the red rose county.”
Richard added: “We wish all the shortlisted companies well and are very much looking forward to meeting them in-person at the judging event.”
The Red Rose Awards are in association with Forbes Solicitors and Barclays. The judging partner is RSM and social media partner is Zigaflow.
The awards are sponsored by Alcidion, Azets, Bigtank, Campbell and Rowley, Cube Thinking, Ewood Experience, Four Recruitment, Fox Group, Harrison Drury Solicitors, Lancaster University, Matrix 247, Mattioli Woods, Napthens Solicitors, Pendle Engineering, Peter Scott Printers, PM+M, Porsche Centre Bolton, Porsche Centre Preston, Sales Geek, Seriun, The Fun Experts, United Utilities and UCLan.
The awards are supported by AMRC North West, Chorley Council, Marketing Lancashire, Pink Link and Winter Gardens Blackpool.
The charity partner is Community Foundation for Lancashire.
The Red Rose Awards 2022 finalists are:
Built Environment AwardSponsored by Harrison Drury SolicitorsCassidy+Ashton Architects, Preston
Collinson Construction, Preston
Fox Group, BlackpoolHPA Chartered Architects, Lancaster
Kingswood Homes, Preston
Murton & Co, Lancaster
Corporate Social Responsibility Award
Sponsored by Community Foundation for Lancashire
Chorley Building Society, Chorley
Elektec, Darwen
Fox Group, Blackpool
Go Velo, Colne
nybble.co.uk, Blackburn
RJ8, Burnley
Customer Service Award
Sponsored by Seriun
Chorley Group, Chorley
CUBE HR, Burnley
Higher People, Preston
Revive! Preston, Preston
Skiddle, Preston
Trident Utilities, Blackpool
Design Award
Sponsored by Peter Scott Printers
Bigtank Productions, Ramsbottom
Jellymedia, Blackpool
TCB Designs, Burnley
Think!Creative, Poulton-Le-Fylde
Two Stories, Lancaster
Walk Tall Creative, Edenfield
Digital Award
21Digital, Blackburn
Bigtank Productions, Ramsbottom
CheckedSafe, Burnley
Jellymedia, Blackpool
Red-Fern Media, Burnley
Redmoor Health, Chorley
Employer of the Year Award
Sponsored by Four Recruitment
Active Lancashire, Leyland
BiU, Lytham St. Annes
Burnley College, Burnley
Connect Childcare, Brierfield
Shelter Lancashire, Blackburn
Spencer Clarke Group, Preston
Export Award
Sponsored by PM+M
Carvansons, Haslingden
Equestrian Surfaces, Burnley
Kerax, Chorley
Slingco, Rossendale
VMS Solutions, Thornton-Cleveleys
Tensar International, Blackburn
Family Business Award
Sponsored by Napthens Solicitors
Fagan & Whalley, Padiham
Forest Group, Blackburn
Frederick’s Ice Cream, Chorley
GHW Windows, Blackburn
Redmoor Health, Chorley
Star Tissue UK, Blackburn
Green Award
Sponsored by Mattioli Woods plc
Crowberry Consulting, Chorley
Equestrian Surfaces, Burnley
Freedom Heat Pumps, Bamber Bridge
Morecambe Bay Chowder Co, Morecambe
RecycleIT, Burnley
Senator International, Accrington
Health and Wellbeing Award
Sponsored by Alcidion
Breathe Therapies, Preston
Counselling in the Community, Blackpool
Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing, Preston
Progress Lifeline, Leyland
RJ8, Burnley
Six Connections, Burnley
Innovation Award
Sponsored by the University of Central Lancashire
Alcidion, Burnley
Breathe Therapies, Preston
CheckedSafe, Burnley
ELE Advanced Technologies, Colne
IN4 Group, Preston
Trident Utilities, Blackpool
Large Business Award
Sponsored by Forbes Solicitors
Chorley Group, Chorley
CMAC Group, Accrington
Fox Group, Blackpool
GA Pet Food, Chorley
James’ Places, Clitheroe
Slingco, Rawtenstall
Made in Lancashire Award
Sponsored by Barclays
ELE Advanced Technologies, Colne
Marvtech, Burnley
Slingco, Rossendale
Star Tissue UK, Blackburn
Strongdor, Carnforth
Tensar International, Blackburn
Medium Business Award
Sponsored by Azets
Forest Group, Blackburn
Freedom Heat Pumps, Bamber Bridge
Redmoor Health, Chorley
Spencer Clarke Group, Preston
Strongdor, Carnforth
Tile Mart, Preston
Micro Business Award
Complete Online Solutions, Blackpool
CUBE HR, Burnley
ITPR, Preston
Juniper Wealth Management, Preston
Pop Up Entertainment, Blackburn
The Luxury Copywriter, Ormskirk
New Business Award
Sponsored by Porsche Centre Preston
Delilah Chloe, Blackburn
Disruptive Foods, Kirkham
Scope Fire & Security, Blackburn
Serconnect, Blackburn
Sid Hill Transport, Thornton-Cleveleys
The Little Lancashire Village, Rawtenstall
Not-for-profit Award
Sponsored by United Utilities
Active Lancashire, Leyland
Advocacy Focus, Accrington
Artz for All, Skelmersdale
Blackpool FC Community Trust, Blackpool
Empowerment Charity, Blackpool
Lancashire Women, Accrington
Professional Services Award
Sponsored by Matrix247
Becketts FS, Poulton-le-Fylde
Cortus Advisory Group, Fullwood
Farleys Solicitors, Blackburn
MJH Accountants, Preston
True Bearing Chartered Financial Planners, Chorley
Woodcocks, Haworth & Nuttall Solicitors, Blackburn
Resilience Award
Forsberg Services, Heysham
Fresh Perspective Resourcing, Chorley
nybble.co.uk, Blackburn
PDS CNC Engineering, Nelson
GHW Windows, Blackburn
Frederick’s Ice Cream, Chorley
Scale-Up Award
Sponsored by Cube Thinking
Alcedo Care Group, Preston
B2BTradeCard, Chorley
ELE Advanced Technologies, Colne
Freedom Heat Pumps, Bamber Bridge
Luxus Design, Preston
Spencer Clarke Group, Preston
Small Business Award
Sponsored by Fox Group
Acumen Financial Partnership, Burscough
B2BTradeCard, Chorley
Becketts FS, Poulton-le-Fylde
Empress Fencing, Chatburn
Red-Fern Media, Burnley
Serconnect, Blackburn
Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Award
Sponsored by Porsche Centre Bolton
Brindle Distillery, Chorley
Crow Wood Leisure, Burnley
James’ Places, Clitheroe
Mrs Dowsons Farm Park, Blackburn
The Flower Bowl Entertainment Centre, Preston
Winter Gardens Blackpool, Blackpool
Note: qualification requires businesses to be paying rates to one or more of Lancashire’s 14 district or unitary boroughs.