Call to celebrate enterprise

Shropshire has world-class businesses which should be celebrating their success by entering the UK’s most prestigious award scheme. 

That was the message from the Chairman of the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership, Graham Wynn, when the organisation jointly hosted the Shropshire launch of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise . 

The LEP joined forces with the Office of The Lord-Lieutenant of Shropshire, Sir Algernon Heber-Percy KCVO, for the event at the Marches Centre for Manufacturing & Technology in Bridgnorth on April 18. 

Guests heard from Glen Dale, from the Queen’s Award Office in the Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy as well as former Shropshire winners of a Queen's Award, Joan Woulfe of Cooking Marvellous in Shrewsbury and Edward Grainger, of Grainger & Worrall in Bridgnorth.  

Mrs Woulfe said: “The win increased the profile of our business and gave us a kind of stability. We are a small business on a small business estate, and for us the networking opportunities it gave us were important. I would encourage any business that can to go for it.” 

The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are awarded to businesses for outstanding achievement in International Trade, Innovation, Sustainable Development and Promoting Opportunity. 

Mr Wynn said: "We want businesses from across Telford and Wrekin and Shropshire to come forward and get their applications in. Let's show the rest of the UK that we really do have world class businesses based here. 

“With entries judged solely on merit, there is a very wide variety of enterprises which can enter and win, with companies varying in size from large international companies to small businesses with just a couple of employees." 

Applications for the awards scheme open on May 8 and businesses can check their eligibility and apply at https://www.gov.uk/queens-awards-for-enterprise

Picture: L-R: Glenn Dale from the Queen’s Award Office, Graham Wynn, Chairman of the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership, Jenny Wynn, Deputy Lieutenant of Shropshire, Edward Grainger of Grainger and Worrall, Joan Woulfe of Cooking Marvellous, Lord-Lieutenant of Shropshire, Sir Algernon Heber-Percy KCVO, Egle Mecinskaite-Olivi  from the Queen’s Award Office.