Southend-on-Sea in Transition

PRESS RELEASE:  For immediate release                                                For further information contact Jill Poet 01702 468387, jill@orbuk.org

Local business expands Charter Awards

Business and Community Charter Awards celebrate businesses that support their local community. The awards have been established in Southend for some time and have now been officially launched in Castle Point. Businesses in Canvey Island, Benfleet, Hadleigh and Thundersley are now invited to apply for an award.

Launching the awards at the Castle Point Business Forum, Jill Poet managing director of the Organisation for Responsible Businesses (ORB), stressed to a packed audience of local business delegates:

“This isn’t a competition. This is a robust certification process that any size or type of business can apply for at any time.”

The awards will be managed in Castle Point by ORB Ambassador and Franchisee Kirsten Woodgate.

Jill Poet is delighted to launch the project in a second area and is now hoping to launch Charter Awards in boroughs across Essex and beyond as a franchise operation. The awards are quite unique and Jill has already seen how getting involved benefits business and the community. But as Jill explained, she will only launch when and where a local authority wants to get involved.

“We are not looking for financial support but we know we can make a difference. If Councils want thriving, vibrant towns and cities with businesses playing a vital role in supporting their local communities, they need to get in touch and work with us to launch Charter Awards in their area.”

Jill can be contacted by e-mail: jill@orbuk.org or for more information about the awards visit www.bccawards.org.uk. ENDS

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NOTES TO EDITOR

1.       The picture shows the Castle Point launch event with Jill Poet and Kirsten Woodgate sitting at the head table.

2.       The Charter Awards have been developed by the Organisation for Responsible Businesses (ORB) which has a focus on showing SMEs that ethical and responsible business can be the most profitable and sustainable.

3.       Charter Awards operate in a local authority area. They are administered by an ORB ambassador / franchisee. A supporting Charter Committee is formed to support the award process and includes representatives from the local authority, local voluntary association and other community and business groups.

4.       To contact Kirsten Woodgate, the franchisee for Castle Point, e-mail: kirsten@bccawards.org.uk or telephone 07944 248356.

5.       To contact Jill Poet, managing director of the Organisation for Responsible Businesses, e-mail: jill@orbuk.org or telephone 01702 468387.

6.       The Organisation for Responsible Businesses www.orbuk.org.uk was established in 2010.The head office is based in Southend-on-Sea.  At basic level ORB is a membership organisation which operates on a national basis to showcase its responsible small business members. The company has also developed an auditable certification for small business: the Responsible Business Standard has been validated by Anglia Ruskin University.

7.       The company also runs local Double Whammy Networking events to support the business community and also raise money for good causes http://www.dwnetworking.co.uk/Southend/

Filed under: Business, Newsletter | Tagged: essex, local economy, southend on sea |