We asked you to share with us those who deserve recognition and thanks and have truly brought ‘good cheer’ to us as we’ve come together.
And the winners are…
Martina Landhed, from Oxford business InStil Design Ltd, has been nominated as a finalist for the prestigious kbbreview Retail & Design Awards for the third time.
This time in the category; Bathroom Designer of the Year, projects costing over £25,000 category. The kbbreview Retail & Design Awards are a celebration of the very best retailers, designers and manufacturers in the kitchen and bathroom industry nationwide, celebrating their 27th year in 2021.
InStil Design Ltd Managing Director Martina said: “Being announced as a finalist among several hundreds of national designers is fantastic news, and I am delighted to be down to the final four.
“My desire is to always inspire and help my clients to realise the potential in their bathrooms. I aim to take their dreams and turn them into reality, whilst offering as personal service as possible.”
Martina has previously won the kbbreview Award Bathroom Designer of the year 2013, project costing up to £10k, and in 2017 Bathroom Designer of the year project cost £10 to £25k. She’s been running InStil Design with her knowledgeable and service-minded team from a boutique style showroom just outside Oxford since 2013.
The next stage of the 2021 competition sees the finalists present their designs via video presentation to the KBB panel of judges who will then determine who has best met the competition brief. The criteria include aesthetics, problem solving, product and material choice, uniqueness of idea, design initiative, and value for money.
The winner will be announced at the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2021 event that this year will take place on September 15th at Liverpool’s St Georges Hall, and promises to be the biggest industry post-lockdown party of the year.
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Photo: Winners, judges and sponsors of the LBCA Berks 2019
The winners were revealed at a ceremony held at SportsAble in Maidenhead with three awards handed out – the Jelf Award, the A-Plan Insurance Award and the Individual Award.
To enter, Berkshire charities had to nominate a Berkshire business or individual who had done an outstanding job supporting them.
The finalists in the Jelf Award were Convatec nominated by Berkshire Youth; Gardner Leader nominated by Swings & Smiles; Nationwide Building Society nominated by The Dash Charity and Penguins Events nominated by Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Services which won the Jelf Award.
Mike Owen, CEO South, Jelf, said: “Penguins Events have been the most incredible supporter of the Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice. Their expertise in events management, providing audio visual and lighting at the charity’s annual balls and other special occasions, has allowed the charity to put on first-class events and raise significant amounts of money.”
The finalists in the A-Plan Insurance award were A Twist of Lime nominated by Baby Bank; Bisham Abbey Sailing & Navigation School nominated by Rivertime Boat Trust; The Swift Group nominated by Newbury Soup Kitchen and TSB (Reading Branch) nominated by Babies in Buscot Support (BIBS). The Reading branch of TSB picked up the A-Plan Insurance Award
Richard Easterbrook, Group Head of Commercial Insurance from sponsor A-Plan Insurance said: “For a business to take on a charity with which they have no personal relationship is quite rare and makes the efforts made by the small team of staff from the TSB in Reading even more impressive.
“From bike and bake weeks to promoting awareness of the charity’s work by having an incubator on display in the branch, the team have really put their heart and souls into supporting this vital Berkshire charity.”
The finalists in the Individual award were Adrian Smith from The Swift Group nominated by Newbury Soup Kitchen; Carol Irwin from Sainsburys nominated by PALS (West Berkshire); Ken Navin from Innovate Services nominated by Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Services and Lisa Chaffey from Action Coach Reading nominated by Berkshire Vision.
The Individual Award was won by Adrian Smith.
Jeffrey Branch, Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Berkshire, who presented the award said:
“Two years ago Meryll Praill set up Newbury Soup Kitchen without any knowledge or experience of homelessness or the myriad of problems that leads to a person losing their home. The day she met Adrian Swift, Managing Director of the Swift Group was highly fortuitous; from the outset he has offered her guidance, support, introductions to relevant businesses and even the donation of a van to deliver the food to the homeless. Berkshire is a better place because of men like Adrian.”
Photo: Winner of the Chris Tarrant Award Sam Dixon with son Parker and left, general manager of sponsors The Oracle, Andy Briggs. Picture by: Emma Patterson
Once again hosted by home-town boy Chris Tarrant, the glitzy ceremony at the Royal Berkshire Conference Centre saw winners of 22 awards celebrated.
The event was attended by around 300 guests who after enjoying street food starters and a two-course sit down lunch enjoyed the afternoon’s awards hosted by Sky Sports presenter Simon Thomas and ITV’s Mel Bloor.
Among the amazing winners earlier this month were Child of Courage Logan Edwards who underwent painful surgery to fuse his skull, Local Hero Ricky Prince who saved a man’s life after seeing him collapsed as he walked past and former councillor Jo Lovelock who was honoured with the Special Recognition Award.
There was barely a dry eye in the room when the Volunteer of the Year was posthumously named as Alice Driver. Her parents were given the award in her honour for her work with Reading Refugee Support Group and Reading PRIDE all while being treated for a brain tumour.
The winner of the Chris Tarrant award this year was Sam Dixon whose husband PC James Dixon was killed on duty in December 2017, when Sam was pregnant with Parker. PC Dixon’s motorcycle collided with a car in Hare Hatch and he died instantly.
∙ Business in Action (Over 50) sponsored by BDB Pitmans: VISA
∙ Business in Action (Under 50) sponsored by BDB Pitmans: Shinfield View Care Home
∙ 999 Award, sponsored by De Vere Wokefield Estate: White Watch, Caversham Road and Whitley Wood
∙ Special Recognition Award: Councillor Jo Lovelock
∙ Charity of the Year sponsored by Roc Search: Sport in Mind
∙ Community Champion sponsored Reading Football Club: Eddie Winship
∙ Smile of the year sponsored by BerkshireLive: Zoe Correa (AJ Making a ∙ Stamp)
∙ Family of the Year sponsored by Ikea: The Johnson Family
∙ The Inspiration Award sponsored by McDonalds: Richard Witt
∙ Volunteer of the Year: Alice Driver
∙ Reading’s Best Street sponsored by Haslams: Talfourd Avenue
∙ Local Hero sponsored by Green Park: Ricky Prince
∙ Employee of the Year sponsored by Reading Buses: Richard Deadman
∙ Young Person of the Year sponsored by University of Reading: Nevaeh Small
∙ Entrepreneur of the Year sponsored by The Purple Turtle: Luci and Mike Clayton Jones
∙ Cultural Contribution sponsored by M&G Real Estate: Andrew Taylor (Aldworth Philharmonic Orchestra)
∙ School of the Year sponsored by QWERTY: New Town Primary School
∙ Fundraiser of the Year sponsored by Cream: David and Julia Eversham (for Alexander Devine
∙ Love Where You Live Award sponsored by Berkeley Homes: Turn Tilehurst Red
∙ Child of Courage sponsored by IQVIA: Logan Edwards
∙ Chris Tarrant Pride of Reading Award sponsored by The Oracle: Sam Dixon
Do you know a woman who deserves recognition for their achievements in the community, business, public service or sport?
If so nominate them for the Sue Ryder Southern Women of Achievement Awards – nominations open on Thursday, 7th November.
The charity for palliative, neurological and bereavement support is calling on people across Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire to put forward the names of those who deserve to be celebrated.
The awards, which have been running since 2006, remain one of Sue Ryder’s biggest fundraisers of the year. They are a fantastic way to celebrate the incredible achievements of local women, while also reflecting on the amazing achievements of Lady Ryder – legendary philanthropist and the charity’s founder.
Community – sponsored by Invesco
Business – sponsored by Invesco
Sport – sponsored by Russell Partnership Collection
Innovation
Mentor/coach of the year
Public Service
Robyn Jones Courage Award – sponsored by CH&Co
Nominations will be open for a month, closing on 7th December. Successful nominees for each award category will then be contacted by a member of the Sue Ryder Fundraising team by 20th December.
Winners will be decided by a judging panel, including representatives from each sponsor, and announced at the Southern Women of Achievement awards ceremony on the 13th March 2020 at Phyllis Court in Henley. The awards will be accompanied by a black-tie drinks’ reception and three course dinner. Attendees on the night will also be treated to live musical entertainment, a raffle and silent auction.
Fern Hayes, Head of Fundraising at Sue Ryder, said: “Celebrating the incredible achievements of so many amazing women across the region is a cause very close to our hearts and something we look forward to year on year. However, we need help to find our wonderful nominees.
“We were overwhelmed by support for the 2019 awards – especially from our brilliant volunteers and sponsors – and hope to drive just as much of a buzz around the 2020 event too.
“The awards are always such a fun and heart-warming event. We encourage everyone across the three counties of Berks, Bucks and Oxfordshire to think about all the fantastic women they have in their networks and consider putting them forward for nomination. We want to make the 2020 awards our biggest and most successful yet.”
The second annual awards evening honoured the top tech businesses in a dozen categories with finalists ranging from start ups to well-established firms.
Around 370 finalists and guests attended the awards at the Royal Berkshire Conference Centre at Reading’s Madejski Stadium on 19th September, hosted by Tomorrow’s World’s Kate Bellingham.
The winner of the overall Thames Valley Tech Company for 2019 was Reading-based ESP Global Services. The company uses its own bespoke solutions and off-the-shelf software to provide a client-focused service. Judges praised the regional operations centres and its focus on employee wellbeing calling the company “a worthy winner”.
CEO Andy Jenner said: “Absolutely over the moon to win. Darren Richardson, who set up the business with Mike Harling 27 years ago, sadly passed away last year from cancer. It devastated the company. This award is a real testament to Darren’s drive, ambition and achievements. He would be smiling knowing we have won. We see ESP as a family and have been fortunate in creating a family of 422 people in Reading and across the globe.”
ESP Global Services – Thames Valley Tech Company
Tech Leadership Team – Sponsored by Goringe
Emerging Tech Company – Sponsored by Barclays
Science & Technology Award – Sponsored by Blake Morgan
Tech Employer of the Year – Sponsored by Austin Fraser
International Tech Company – Sponsored by Boyes Turner
Innovative Tech Company — Sponsored by Penningtons Manches Cooper
High Growth Tech Business – Sponsored by Grant Thornton
The awards, organised by South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Council’s Economic Development team, are a celebration of the work of local businesses.
The finalists were announced earlier this month with the winners to be revealed on Friday, 15th March in a glitzy ceremony at Williams Conference Centre in Grove.
The most highly contested is set to be the small and medium-sized enterprise award with 98% of all businesses in the South and Vale falling into this category, such was the number of entries that applications were split into two – one for South and one for Vale.
There are eight awards to be won, the finalists in each category are:
South Oxfordshire – Jonas Event Technology, Wallingford; SYLO Associates, Thame; You HR Technology, Wallingford
Vale of White Horse – Montala, Watchfield; Ridgefield Consulting, Oxford; South East Workwear, Abingdon
Bremont Watch Company, Henley; Gigaclear, Abingdon; Planet IT, Abingdon; Reaction Engines, Culham; Windles Group, Thame
North Farm Stud, Wantage; Sandford Talking Shop, Sandford-on-Thames; SOFEA, Didcot
Huduma, Harwell; Oxford Nanosystems, Abingdon; Serelay, Harwell; ZapGo, Harwell
HR Wallingford; Open Cosmos, Harwell; TPLC, Didcot
Boston House Business Centre, Wantage; Howbery Park, Wallingford; The Self Storage Co, Didcot
Ben Thompson, Thompson & Terry, Abingdon; John Harris, OBN, Milton Park; Richard Kennell, SOFEA, Didcot
White Horse Leisure & Tennis Centre (Better), Abingdon; Reaction Engines, Culham; SOFEA, Didcot
Congratulations to all the finalists and best of luck for 15th March!
Tickets are available now for the ceremony, click here
