The Chamber's 2024 Goole and Howdenshire Business Excellence Awards open for entries

THE Chamber's Goole and Howdenshire Business Excellence Awards are now officially open for entry!

Now in its 13th year, the organising committee which is made up of volunteers from the local business community, is urging businesses of all sizes and from all sectors to shout about their successes by completing the quick and easy entry form.

For 2024, there are 11 different categories for businesses to enter. As in previous years, the independent judging panel will also be asked to select an Overall Business of the Year Award from the entrants, and the organising committee will nominate someone to receive the Tim Richardson Lifetime Achievement Award. 

The categories that businesses can enter are as follows:

Small Business of the Year Award (sponsored by MNA Group): For businesses that employ 10 people or less.

Large Business of the Year Award (sponsored by Chronicle Publications Ltd): For businesses that employ more than 10 people.
Hugh Walton Contribution to the Community Award (sponsored by H Walton Ltd): For businesses that go ‘above and beyond’ to help and support the local community.
Charity of the Year Award (sponsored by Jos Richardson & Son): This category is aimed at non-commercial organisations from the charity, voluntary or community sector that make a tangible difference to the local community through their activities.
Marketing Excellence Award (sponsored by Filstorage): For businesses that have developed and implemented an innovative marketing strategy that’s had a measurable impact.  
Self Employed/Micro Business of the Year Award (sponsored by Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce): This category is for the self-employed, including sole traders and freelancers.
Training and Development Award (sponsored by Drax): This category is aimed at businesses that champion and invest in their employees by giving them the opportunity to develop their careers and learn new skills.
New Business of the Year Award (sponsored by Danbrit): For new businesses started on or after 1 January 2022.
Team of the Year Award (sponsored by Fisher Security Ltd): This award celebrates the many ways in which staff pull together to create the best outcomes for their company, and for one another. 
Employee of the Year Award (sponsored by Grotech Production Ltd): For individuals within a business who go above and beyond what’s required of them on a day-to-day basis.
Environmentally Friendly Business of the Year Award (sponsor to be confirmed): This category is aimed at businesses that work hard to minimise the impact of their activities on the environment.
Historically, the Chamber's Goole and Howdenshire Business Excellence Awards ceremony was held in February each year but, in 2023, it was moved to April to allow building work at Goole Academy, the venue for the event, to be completed. The date switch proved popular with guests, so the committee has taken the decision to continue holding the event in April in future years, with the date for next year’s awards ceremony set for Friday 5 April, 2024.
The committee’s Chair, local businessman Garrey Haase, said: “The feedback we received following the date switch from February to April was really positive and the 2023 event was very well supported in terms of both entries and guests attending on the night, so we’ve decided to stick with similar timings for 2024.
“Businesses have from now until the end of January to get their entries in and we’ve tried to keep things as simple as possible for people by giving the website a refresh and creating a really user-friendly entry form that’s surprisingly quick and easy to complete. There’s a category for every business to enter, regardless of size, the sector it operates in or the length of time it has been established, so don’t be afraid to put your business forward.”
For more information and to enter, visit: www.goolebusinessawards.co.uk.