The Southwark Business Resilience Awards 2021 – in association with London South Bank University – are now open for entries.
Businesses and individuals can register themselves, or others, for the awards categories via the website. southwarkawards.co.uk/register
Categories include: Covid-19 Business Resilience Award; Business Pivot Award; Sustainable Green Investment Award; Local Lockdown Hero; Community Collaboration in Response To Covid-19; Covid-19 Start Up; Outstanding Team Award; Young Person’s Contribution; Covid-19 Business Commitment to Education, Training & Skills.
Reinvented from the Southwark Business Excellence Awards for 2021, the Resilience Awards reflect the challenges and opportunities businesses have faced during the pandemic. The programme launched virtually on 23 June.
Go to www.southwarkawards.co.uk/register to enter a business
Who are behind the awards:
Sarah Moore-Williams, Dean of LSBU School of Business and Chair of Southwark Chamber of Commerce, highlighted how both the university and the Chamber wanted to work with businesses to create “a circular economy”, saying:
“As a community we can support each other to move forward, develop and grow the economy and then grow as a community because that money, that richness of opportunity, goes back into our community in so many different ways.”
She added: “These awards really do recognise all that is good. They recognise the richness of the business community, from start-ups to large corporates and these resilience awards in particular really recognise and celebrate what we’ve been through over the last year and a half, and the potential that we have now to grow from the resilience we’ve developed. They also enable us to network, provide an opportunity for discussion and through discussion, often comes ideas and networks and synergies and opportunity.”
Awards sponsors include Art-Invest Real Estate Management UK Ltd, Berkeley Homes (Capital) plc, British Land, Elephant & Castle Town Centre, Landsec, Lendlease, with Southwark News a supporter.
Art-Invest is bringing forward the Canada Water Dockside Project and sponsoring the Business Commitment to Education, Training & Skills Award.
UK Managing Director, Ali Abbas, said: “It’s a pleasure and a privilege for us to be sponsoring this great initiative. Canada Water Dockside is one of the largest planning applications in London and we’re making significant social and community initiatives there, not least the Construction Skills Centre and the Capital Community Fund.”
Berkeley Homes Capital, sponsoring Community Collaboration in Response to COVID-19, has constructed nearly 2,000 homes in Southwark with another 2000 to be delivered in Malt Street on Old Kent Road, Borough Triangle in Elephant and Castle and the Aylesham Centre in Peckham.
Development manager, Ollie Yeats, said: “Whether it’s through our apprenticeship schemes, local employment opportunities, or wide-reaching consultation, for us placemaking is about people and we see community as the core focus of everything we do – that’s the reason we’ve chosen to sponsor this award.”
Sustainable Green Investment sponsor Landsec has Southwark schemes: The Forge in Sumner Street, Red Lion Court on the riverside and Timber Square.
Senior Development Director, Robert Hume, said: “It’s at the core of our approach to embed ourselves in local communities so this sort of initiative is something that we’re fully behind and very proud to be involved in.”
Covid-19 Resilience category sponsor Lendlease is redeveloping Elephant Park to create 3,000 new homes, jobs and retail.
Socio Economic Development Manager, Lucille Gibbons, said: “Part of the interest for these particular awards was around retail because we have a number of our own small retailers now that we’re coming into operation and this year has been incredibly tough for them. Part of the driver was around recognising and appreciating just how difficult the landscape has been, and trying to celebrate success where it does exist.”
Southwark Business Resilience Awards are run by White Label in partnership with Southwark Council and Southwark Chamber of Commerce.
Councillor Jason Ochere, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Business and Town Centres, outlined how Southwark Council was the first in the in the UK to launch a hardship fund to businesses which slipped through the Government COVID-19 funding net.
And this month, the council has launched The High Street Recovery Fund to help small and medium sized businesses thrive and develop resilience. Cllr Ochere said: “Beyond this funding, we’re working in lockstep and partnership on a plan to develop the resilience of businesses going forward and I’m proud to be supporting these awards to recognise the work businesses have done over the past year, and to ensure the voices of all businesses are being listened to and we’re working with them to recover as strongly as possible.”
The awards remain open for entries until August 6 with a shortlist announced for a public vote on 16 August. Winners, including the overall Business of the Year, will be revealed at a Virtual Awards Ceremony on 21 October.
Go to www.southwarkawards.co.uk/register to enter a business