All for One, One for all!

Awards will be a hit

ENTRIES for the inaugural One Oldham Chronicle Business Awards are flowing in.

Interest in the awards, which will culminate in a gala presentation dinner at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Oldham, on Friday, April 3, is gathering pace with new sponsors ready to join the growing list of supporting companies and organisations.

The deadline for entries for the eight categories is January 31 after which eight, three-person panels will sift through the nominations to create shortlists of three finalists.

Each of the these will be visited by the judges after which the decisions will be made on the first winners of these highly prestigious awards.

Dave Meredith, a member of the awards sub-committee, is eagerly anticipating the judging process. A director of commercial banking at the Royal Bank of Scotland, the awards major sponsors, he said: “This is one of the most exciting projects for the Oldham business community for many years.

“Interest has been mounting for several weeks since we launched the awards and we are all encouraged by the support we have had to date.

“For these awards to be a success we need companies, firms, businesses and organisations to participate. No one is excluded, from the smallest one-man operation to the largest.

“We believe we have created a series of categories which will attract entries from every area of business.”

Every shortlisted company will receive two free tickets for the dinner, which is certain to be one of the highlights of the year.

Following a champagne reception guests will enjoy four-course dinner prior to the Oscars-style presentation supplemented by live video projection. Organisers have already planned a host of surprises and entertainment for the evening.

Steve Duthie, the Evening Chronicle’s circulation manager, added: “Every business that submits an entry will be featured in the Chronicle’s Business preview supplement which will be published next month . . . and 60,000 people in this area will see copies.

“This is just one of many reasons why the business community should support these awards.”