Latest People: Brighton & Hove Business Awards, Women in Waves Programme, and Brightwave raise money for charity
Brighton & Hove Business Awards
The winners of the 9th annual Brighton & Hove Business Awards (BAHBAs) were announced on the Brighton Pier on Thursday 10 July.
The big winner on the night was Ambiental, who took home the awards for Best Environmental Industry Company and Business Beyond The City.
The Kitchen Store claimed the title of Fastest Growing Business, and other big winners on the night included The Young People’s Centre who took home Greatest Contribution to the Community, The Treatment Rooms which won Best Customer Service, and The Sealife Centre, named Best Place to Visit. Paddle Round the Pier took Best Event in the City.
But the biggest surprise of the night was for the chair of the Awards, Tony Mernagh, who retires next year. Awards organisers presented him with ‘the big red book’ engraved with ‘This is Your Brighton Life’ on the cover. Caraline Brown, awards organiser, commented: “Tony has held many senior positions across the city yet has still found time to chair the BAHBAs every year since their inception. Not much gets past Tony, but his fellow judges did manage to keep this award from him until tonight!”
The BAHBAs acknowledge the diversity and unique nature of our city, and celebrate the organisations and individuals who really build the Brighton and Hove ‘brand’.
Brightwave’s staff raise over £1,000 for charity
Next generation learning experts, Brightwave, support four daring members of staff who are participating in two charitable fundraising events this week.
Brightwave’s Rich Calcutt, Liz Heward and Liz Lamb are abseiling 100ft down Brighton’s iconic Grand Hotel tomorrow (Wednesday) morning, in aid of Action for Children; a UK charity committed to helping the most vulnerable and neglected children.
The trio hit their £300 sponsorship target, with Brightwave boosting their running total by an additional £100 per person.
Dan Highfield, Brightwave’s IT Support Apprentice, is downing tools this weekend to cycle 300 miles from London to Paris to raise money for Sussex-based children’s hospice Chestnut Tree House, who provide critical and end-of-life care for children and young people. Brightwave Director of Talent, Alison Mitchell-Innes, says: “It’s fantastic that our staff are supporting these two charitable organisations. We will follow Dan’s updates this weekend and spur the fearless trio on from the bottom of The Grand as they take the plunge tomorrow!”
Dan is cycling three seven-hour days across the continent, and will be uploading blogposts, photos, videos and GPS data to his JustGiving page to share his experience. Brightwave donated £200 themselves to help Dan reach his target.
Beach safety is a family affair
A nationwide initiative to teach women the basics of surf safety, lifesaving and water confidence arrived in Brighton this weekend. Fifty women from the region took part in the session on Brighton beach, organised by Surf Life Saving GB (SLSGB) and sponsored by holiday letting agency cottages4you.
The Women in Waves programme is currently touring the country, offering sessions for women to help increase safety and confidence, teach surf swimming techniques and offer surf lifesaving sports, including board paddling.
Phillipa Kilby, cottages4you’s regional manager for Sussex, attended the event on Saturday and said: “Often it’s mum who gets left with manning the picnic blanket whilst the kids go off and play. We want the whole family to be confident in the water so we’re delighted to be part of this fantastic initiative to get more women educated on water safety.”
Tracy Lark, Women in Waves coordinator, said: “These sessions attract women of all different ages, whether they’re helping their children in the sea or to gaining more confidence for going in the water themselves. At Surf Life Saving GB we are committed to making the seaside environment more enjoyable for everyone.” Hopefully, the programme will be successful nationwide!
To find out more, visit: www.slsgb.org.uk
