Thursday, March 24, 2022 really was a date to remember, as we celebrated and recognised those making a big difference in Cambridgeshire's business world.
With the Great Hall at King's College glittering and the local business community decked out in their glamorous black-tie attire, this year's CambridgeshireLive Business Awards really were something special.
Back in person once again after a short stint in the virtual world, our brilliant host Will Greenwood MBE took guests through the special evening as they enjoyed dining, drinking, networking and celebrating all things Cambridgeshire.
Thanks to the support from long-standing headline sponsor and local powerhouses , , , and , nine well-worthy businesses and entrepreneurs were rewarded for their hard work.
Don't worry if you missed out on the brilliant event, we've got all of the winners right here for you to discover.
The 2022 winners are...
Diversity and Inclusion Award
Harry Specters dedicates 69p of every £1 spent to directly benefiting the lives of young autistic people and their families. It provides employment, experience and opportunities which offer hope, independence and confidence. Between 2018 and 2020, it offered 1,604 hours of work experience and generated £123,000 worth of social value for the 海角视频 economy.
Award for Social Entrepreneurship
Conscious Communications uses its PR and marketing expertise to have a positive social impact, influencing others and pledging to go above and beyond for clients and the region. Alongside its charity and community interest company, it commits a minimum of a third of its time and resources to voluntary work, community initiatives and pro-bono activity.
Finalists: Form the Future CIC and Hartbeeps Cambridge
Award for Innovation in Business
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Arecor Therapeutics is transforming patient care by enhancing existing therapeutic products to enable healthier lives. The biopharmaceutical company's Aresta platform enables the conversion of sub-optimal products to superior formats, improving access and affordability. Arecor is currently developing best-in-class insulins to improve control and outcomes for people with diabetes.
Finalists: Bios Health and Phico Therapeutics
Small Business of the Year
Elite Swimming Academy is an established, private swim school teaching 1,500 children throughout Cambridgeshire every week. It constantly invests in new luxury pools to add to its small classes, inspiring teachers and five-star customer service which have helped Elite Swimming grow in popularity over the past 10 years.
Finalists: First Intuition and Blue Donkey Ltd
Award for Medium Business of the Year
Cardinalis Concrete is a leading supplier across Cambridgeshire in the provision and delivery of volumetric and ready-mixed concrete mixing services, aggregates, muck away and grab services. To reduce its impact on quarried aggregate, the family-owned business has recently invested in the latest recycling plant and machinery, as well as a bespoke logistic IT system.
Finalists: Cambridge Wine Merchants and COEL
Award for Large Business of the Year
Metalcraft enables ideas to be turned into reality, transforming the world we live in throughout its more than 150 years of history. From supplying the medical industry to the nuclear sector, this multi-million-pound business is constantly investing in its growth and wider ambitions for advanced manufacturing in Cambridgeshire.
Business Person of the Year
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Sarah Howell has gone from being the only person in her family to go to university to becoming CEO of the ever-growing Arecor Therapeutics. With more than two decades of senior experience in the pharmaceutical industry and having helped develop life-changing medicines, she is the role model which less privileged and female university alumni coming into STEM need to see.
Award for Business of the Year
Cardinalis Concrete is already a leading supplier and local powerhouse, but is continually investing to improve and diversify its services. Its innovative machinery and customer service has been invaluable to construction in Cambridgeshire, with the latest recycling plant, machinery and bespoke logistic IT system being brought in to reduce its environmental impact.
Award for Outstanding Contribution
AstraZeneca worked tirelessly during the Covid-19 pandemic to combat the virus. Partnering with the University of Oxford, it mobilised global supply chains and world-class expertise to produce a vaccine that has been delivered in 2.5 billion doses across more than 170 countries. AstraZeneca also donated nine million face masks to workers in 47 countries, supported testing efforts and conducted vital clinical trials on the treatment of Covid-19.
Barclays is this year's headline sponsor
Headline sponsor of the CambridgeshireLive Business Awards for a seventh year, and sponsoring the Barclays Award for Large Business of the Year, has supported business and innovation for more than 325 years.
Duncan McCunn, head of mid-corporate, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire, said: "Barclays is proud to sponsor the awards, as they showcase the very best of Cambridgeshire business. We’re dedicated to helping companies take action to address the environmental and sustainability challenges facing our planet.
"We believe that an inclusive economy is a better economy for everyone, investing in citizenship programmes to have long-term positive impacts in local communities."