Who captured Yorkshire's heart?
The pandemic certainly put a stop to a lot of things as we all locked down to stay safe. It meant that our Awards Gala Dinner couldn't go ahead as planned but like everyone else, we turned to technology to enable us to announce our 2020 winners.
The show must go on! After a patient and nervous wait, our host Christa Ackroyd revealed your deserving winners over video, launched on social media. We've added each video below, just in case you missed it!
Congratulations to everyone nominated in 2020, you should all be extremely proud of yourselves.
New Starter Business of the Year 2020
Sponsored by Elegance UK
WINNER Roots of Yggdrasil
Simon Town saw the need to make exercise available to everyone. This came about because of his own personal journey with mental health. The original aim was to arrange classes in rural, impoverished areas taking people out of social isolation and help build support groups. Classes are self-sustaining but needed to create a profitable revenue stream to grow. Classes are called Corporate to Community. Their aim is to work with employees to promote their mental and physical health. Conduct postural assessment, teach station-based exercise, offer services of sports masseurs, Indian head massage etc at work and nutrition advice. This promotes staff wellbeing, prevents illness and prolongs working life.
FINALISTS
HQ Hair
BM Fitness
Pan Sushi
Independent Business of the Year 2020
Sponsored by DWB Wealth Consultancy LLP
WINNER PHD Marketing
Jo Stephenson established PHD Marketing in 2014. She was Vice President of Marketing & R&D at LINPAC Group, based in Featherstone, West Yorkshire and the company was for sale (later bought by Klockner Pentaplast). Jo spotted an opportunity - rather than see the jobs lost, she took 2 staff and set up PHD to outsource the marketing function. She received a 3-year contract, saving the company £300k, and ended up working with them for 5 years. Today PHD Marketing is an independent marketing and communications company serving local, national and international clients with a turnover of £1M employing 13 local staff from apprentices to senior managers. The business is growing - seeking 3 new staff now - has a great reputation in the print, packaging and plastics sectors and investing in apprentices to grow future talent.
FINALISTS
Al's Emporium
Little Beau Sheep
ToyBox Private Nursery
Business Woman of the Year 2020
Sponsored by Deep Blue Telecom
WINNER Lucy Arnold
Lucy Arnold from Sheffield runs a hugely successful activewear company called ‘Lucy Locket Loves’. Lucy became a fully qualified personal trainer and opened her own training studio. However, in 2017, Lucy suffered a back injury which meant she was unable to work full-time training her clients. Whilst off work, Lucy formulated the idea of designing and selling her own gym clothes. Lucy’s active-wear range was created to suit all body types and sizes. Now, 2 years down the line, Lucy Locket Loves is expected to turn over £1.5m in 2019 and now employs staff and has a loyal and growing customer base. Lucy has a huge social media following with over 60,000 fans ... however, what Lucy has created is more than just a following, this community is a support network for people to be open about their mental health, body image, trials and tribulations.
FINALISTS
Emily Newstead
Eleanor Tomlinson
Tammy Banks
Business Man of the Year 2020
Sponsored by Pugata
WINNER Stuart Reynolds
After leaving the Royal Marines, Stuart set up Protected Courier Services with just a motorcycle and no investment. Stuart has worked around the clock gaining knowledge of the courier industry along the way. Three years on and PCS run a fleet of vehicles ranging from articulated lorries to vans which shows how fast their family-run business is growing and a credit to their employees and our loyal customer base. Stuart still works up to 18 hours a day driving the business forward to secure a renowned name in the haulage industry.
FINALISTS
Ben Jacobs
Philip Stock
Steve Betts
Charitable Business of the Year 2020
Sponsored by The ICC Group
WINNER Homeless Street Angels
Sisters Becky and Shelley Joyce together with their dedicated loyal team of Homeless Street Angels volunteers, some as young as 8 years old take to the streets each week to make a small difference in someone’s life. They provide outreach every Thursday evening offering care and support on the streets of Leeds City Centre by handing out homemade hot and cold food, clean clothes and toiletries. The Homeless Street Angels team is always appealing for support and their fundraising efforts help rehouse people on the streets by providing fully furnished homes with provisions given from generous donations. The team never stops, they hold numerous charity events, for example, a rucksack appeal which involved the North Leeds community wrapping gifts and toiletries to hand out to the homeless on Christmas Eve. Becky & Shelley too have suffered a personal tragedy when they sadly lost their Sister, so in her memory, they aim to set up a day centre for the homeless called Abi House.
FINALISTS
Caroline Atha School of Dance
Christina Gabbitas
Unmasked Mental Health
Customer Service Award 2020
Sponsored by YPO
WINNER Pride & Provenance
Pride & Provenance is a local small cafe and wine bar in Halifax situated within period surroundings close to the Piece Hall. Their offer amazing friendly service from a team who are passionate about what they do, they really care. Every team member has a vast personal knowledge of locally sourced produce. They value their customers ensuring that on every visit they have a great experience, they have a very professional but personal approach and returning customers are treated as welcome friends. Nothing is too much trouble, they obviously enjoy what they do and work well as a team led by the very personable and charismatic owner James. They remember customer’s names and preferences and go the extra mile to make everyone welcome - from families with children, couples or groups of friends they are all made to feel that their business is valued and that they will be excited to return again and again.
FINALISTS
Fazenda
Glu Recruit
Over The Moon Scents
Inspirational Individual of the Year 2020
Sponsored by Franks Accountants
WINNER Tim Bilton
Tim Bilton's world came crashing down when he was diagnosed with a rare form of eye cancer. Tim was determined not to let this stand in his way and straight after chemo and radiotherapy at Sheffield’s Weston Park Hospital, Tim, well-known TV chef was back behind his stove. It didn’t occur to Tim to stop working but behind the scenes, his battle with cancer continued. In the summer of 2015 Tim discovered the cancer had spread to his saliva glands and then in February last year Tim started with a niggle in his knee. “I thought it was an old footballing injury and went for some physio and she suggested I should see my consultant.” The cancer had returned and, even more devastatingly, there were signs of it on one of his kidneys. Tim also decided that unlike the first time his cancer returned this time he would talk openly about the disease and the effects the treatment has on him. “There seems to be a lot out there about women’s cancer but not so much about men’s. We just aren’t very good at talking about our health.” Tim’s blog, on a knife-edge, is an honest look at his treatment and living life with stage four incurable melanoma. An absolute inspiration regardless of everything Tim has been through he is determined to raise awareness to others.
FINALISTS
Chloe Thomas
Rachel Campey
Rhian Binns
Local Fundraiser of the Year 2020
Sponsored by Yorkshire Payments
WINNER Disability Support Calderdale
The group from Disability Support Calderdale work with people with disabilities and long term health conditions, they attend benefit related tribunals and medicals and by the end of September 2019 recouped £903,334 for the people that use the service in Calderdale. They work with people who are in crisis, have benefit and housing issues and they offer drop-in meetings at Hebden Bridge, Todmorden Health Centre, Cornholme Old Library, Todmorden Old Library and Halifax. DSC supports people at tribunals and medicals and recently won a payment for a lady with Multiple Sclerosis of £75,000. This organisation has contributed greatly to the local economy and to the health and wellbeing of Calderdale residents and are a very worthy nominee for how they have supported so many individuals.
FINALISTS
Alice Johnson
Little Friends of Roundhay Park
Zoe Darcy
Volunteer of the Year 2020
Sponsored by Evallance
WINNER Stevie Morley
Stevie Morley Stevie runs mental health support groups for adults and children called Take Ten and Take Ten Youths. The group supports families of those who have attempted and completed suicide. Stevie herself suffers from a range of mental health issues, including depression. Putting aside her own battles, every day she gets up and puts herself out there to help anyone who might need it. She and her group raise awareness and provide support for people every single day, no matter how bad they might be feeling themselves. It's all voluntary and she and her group do their own fundraising to ensure they can continue the service. She's a legend who helps people at the lowest point of their lives, particularly those who have been unable to access support via the Mental Health Teams. She also gets herself and her team members out on the road to stop people ending their lives through suicide.
FINALISTS
Aky & Tina Suryavansi
Brian Smart
Faye Knowles Chapman Foundation
Young Achiever of the Year 2020
Sponsored by Suttle Transport
WINNER Lucas Town
Lucas is a multitalented inspirational young sportsman from Huddersfield. He’s a 13-year-old boy with Cerebral Palsy and takes part in wheelchair tennis, disabled horse riding, wheelchair racing and framed football. He is excelling in wheelchair tennis and has won 3 medals for the Nottingham Open, Leeds and Grantham competitions! Lucas was a runner up at the British Open. He entered the Yorkshire County Championships in the adult wheelchair competition and came away runner up and officially Yorkshire's number 2 wheelchair tennis player for 2019! An amazing year of achievements. Lucas is an inspiration to not only his family but to everyone that meets him. He never lets his disability of having cerebral palsy get in the way and is also wanting to inspire other disabled children to take part in any aspect of sports whatever their disability is. Lucas sees everyone as being the same as he sees people, he sees a person first and always treats everyone as he wishes to be treated which in this day and age means a lot.
FINALISTS
Bradley Duke
Dan Morton
Daniel Darcey
Sporting Achievement of the Year 2020
Sponsored by Wetherby Whaler
WINNER Leeds Rhinos Women's Team
These sporting heroes Leeds Rhinos Women deserve to be recognised, they are at the top of their game. The team is part of the Leeds Rhinos club and plays in the Women's Super League. They are the current (2019) RFL Women's Super League champions and RFL Women's Challenge Cup holders, after beating Castleford Tigers in both finals, 16–10 in the Challenge Cup final on 27 July 2019 and 20–12 in the Super League Grand Final on 11 October 2019. The team was formed in September 2017 with the aid of the Leeds Rhinos Foundation. In the team's first season, they won the Women's Challenge Cup in August 2018. They successfully retained their title, after beating Castleford Tigers 16–10 in July 2019; in a repeat of 2018 final and in October they beat Castleford again to win the Grand Final. A well-deserved win and nomination for this award!
FINALISTS
Headingly AFC
Paul Burluraux & Andrew Roebuck
Stephen Bannister
Kate Granger Award for Outstanding Contribution 2020
Sponsored by Yorkshire Payments
WINNER Ben Moorhouse & Gaynor Thompson
Ben & Gaynor go above and beyond, putting their heart & soul into anything they do. Ben has walked around the entire island of Rhodes in Greece for the Steve Prescott Foundation, completing the walk in under 48 hours. Ben and Gaynor are now raising money for a new maternity bereavement suite at Calderdale Royal Hospital, where sadly in October last year their baby girl was stillborn at 38 weeks. Ben is raising the money so that there can be a separate area for people who are suffering a stillbirth or have suffered an infant bereavement can spend as much time with loved ones as they need. Ben and Gaynor also wish others to avoid the situation that they found themselves when Gaynor was labouring but could still hear newborn babies crying just down the ward from them. Ben and Gaynor have bravely turned their sadness into positivity in order to help others in similar situations. Ben has also set up areas for a first-dads support group for dads who have lost babies. The couple has raised over £22,000 in just ten months for a new maternity bereavement suite at Calderdale Royal Infirmary in the name of their daughter.
FINALISTS
Dan Morton
Jacqui Drake
Yorkshire Ambulance Restart A Heart Team
Special Recognition Award 2020
Sponsored by Yorkshire Payments
WINNER Yorkshire Ambulance Restart A Heart Team
The Restart a Heart campaign started in Yorkshire in 2014 by The Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust offering all secondary schools in Yorkshire the opportunity to receive free CPR training for pupils on Restart a Heart Day (on or around 16 October). The team visited 49 schools and taught CPR to 11,500 youngsters – with the help of hundreds of voluntary trainers, mostly off-duty staff and community first responders. The event has continued to go from strength to strength; in the last six years on Restart a Heart Day they have taught life-saving skills to an incredible 151,000 youngsters at 72% of Yorkshire’s secondary schools. The young people have learned CPR with real-life case studies of survivors of cardiac arrest being saved by the students.
Watch out for our 2022 nomination process opening in the coming weeks. Sign up to our newsletter here to be the first to hear when you can choose your next Yorkshire heroes!
