SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED FOR LIVERPOOL CHAMBER’S INNOVATION IN BUSINESS AWARDS

Liverpool Chamber has announced the shortlisted candidates for this year’s Innovation in Business Awards, in association with Lexus Liverpool.

More than 140 nominations were received across 15 separate categories and the final shortlist will now go forward to a glittering awards ceremony at St George’s Hall on Thursday 24 October, where 500 guests will be in attendance.

Organisations from a broad range of sectors are represented in this year’s shortlist, including engineering, chemistry, renewable energy, logistics, hospitality and professional services.

A full shortlist of nominees can be found to the right

Paul Cherpeau, Chief Executive of Liverpool Chamber, said: “The quality and variety of nominations this year has been nothing short of exceptional. We have organisations as diverse as chromatographers and capital investors, and everything in between, which reflects the depth of enterprise across the Liverpool City Region.

“The Innovation in Business Awards aim to recognise and reward those businesses who go about things in an innovative way, whether that’s through the use of new technology, identifying new markets for growth, adapting their product or service, or training their people in a new, innovative skill set.

“We very much look forward to announcing the winners on an unforgettable night at St George’s Hall in October.”

Lexus Liverpool is the headline sponsor of the Innovation in Business Awards 2024, while fellow event sponsors include MSP Global, Wild Thang, ACC Liverpool, Liverpool Hope University, Kimpton, MICT, National Museums Liverpool, BT Local Business, Oriel Studios and Help to Grow at the University of Liverpool Management School.

“The Innovation in Business Awards aim to recognise and reward those businesses who go about things in an innovative way, whether that’s through the use of new technology, identifying new markets for growth, adapting their product or service, or training their people in a new, innovative skill set.”

The 2024 Awards Nominees

Social Impact Award

• Sutcliffe

• Liverpool John Lennon Airport

• Nugent

• Asset Lifecycle Solutions

• Taylor Wessing

• NORD

Sustainable Business of the Year Award

• Warwick North West

• Eco Homes

• Kimpton

• Asset Lifecycle Solutions

• DigitalXRAID

• Wild Thang

International Business of the Year Award

• Blends Flavours and Colours

• RS Clare and Co Ltd

• Northern Retail Group Ltd

• Trinity Logistics

• Greyhound Chromatography

Talent Development Award

• Kimpton

• Joanne Finnerty Recruitment

• Alan Johnston Partnership Ltd (AJP), Springpod and University of Liverpool

• Liverpool John Moores University

• Greyhound Chromatography

• University of Liverpool –Design your Future

Young Person of the Year Award

• Lucky Ali - Lucky’s Café+

• Grace Roberts - Kimpton

• Jake Wilson - Oriel Studios

• Jack Pleavin - Pleavin Power Ltd

• James Barber - Jamescape

• Ant PolanowskiDecent Donuts

Customer Excellence Award

• Novotel Liverpool Paddington Village

• Sciontec

• Fazenda

• Oriel Studios

• Clockwise

• Liverpool John Lennon Airport

New Business of the Year Award

• Novotel Liverpool Paddington Village

• Asset Lifecyle Solutions

• Barruko Limited

• Helen Gowar Marketing

• Approach IQ

• Risk Consultancy Global

• Amass Digital Community Impact Award

• Lucky’s Café+

• Everton in the Community

• The Brain Charity

• KQ Liverpool

• Elevate Education Business Partnership

• The Anfield Wrap

Experience Provider of the Year Award

• Strawberry Field

• Liverpool Empire Theatre

• The Jockey Club

• Southport Flower Show +

• Victoria Park Events

• Royal Liver 360

Skills Provider of the Year Award

• SB Skills Solutions

• The City of Liverpool College

• The Learning Foundry

• Realise Training

• Liverpool Hope University

- Faculty of Unique + Special Projects

• UniCourse

Innovative Product or Service Award

• Blakmint

• DigitalXRAID

• River Capital

• Tectores Ltd

• Approach IQ

• Leafyard

Innovation in Health and Wellbeing Award

• Health@Work (Medicash)

• Everton in the Community

• Smokefree Liverpool

• The Family Transition Company

• Open Door Charity

• Wild Thang Leadership Innovation Award

• Jo Henney - Nugent

• Jonathon Clark - GDPR Defender

• Matt Breakwell - Kimpton

• Dr Becky Jones - Phillips -

• Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

• Greg Johnson - Warwick North West

• Elaine BowkerThe City of Liverpool College

• Mark BorzomatoRiver Capital

Business of the Year Award (over 30)

• Paramount Digital

• Warwick North West

• Kimpton

• Liverpool John Lennon Airport

• Arriva Merseyside

• Wild Thang

• Sterling Plastering Ltd

Business of the Year Award (under 30)

• Joanne Finnerty Recruitment

• Oriel Studios

• Quirky Digital

• Connect Internet Solutions

• MICT

• Privilege HR

• Pleavin Power Limited

For information about the Innovation in Business Awards, visit www.liverpoolchamber.org.uk or email events@liverpoolchamber.org.uk.

Votes for the awards can be cast here https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/W5BZSVV

WithYou, a national drug, alcohol and mental health charity celebrates national volunteers week with the relaunch of their successful volunteering scheme in Liverpool

Drug and alcohol treatment charity, WithYou, marked national volunteers week in June with local celebrations and by relaunching their volunteering scheme. Volunteers are an integral part of WithYou and are central to increasing the impact of their work across the organisation in all that they do for their clients.

WithYou’s volunteers extend their reach within the communities they support, creating a strong local presence and helping to promote visible recovery in Liverpool. WithYou welcome volunteers with lived experience of challenges around drugs, alcohol and mental health and who can use their story to support clients going through similar experiences. WithYou also welcome people with no lived experience of challenges around drugs and alcohol, but people who have a passion for helping others and keen to learn new skills. WithYou volunteers support people to make positive changes to their lives and cover a range of roles, including:

WithYou in Liverpool have achieved micro-elimination through a test, treat and repeat scheme. Micro-elimination is defined as:

• Working directly with clients and families to provide additional support

• Assisting with administration duties

• Group support and encouraging clients to engage with and participate in recovery groups and activities

Alison Fleet, Community and Engagement Coordinator who manages the volunteers at WithYou in Liverpool, says: “I have had the pleasure of supporting and training some wonderful volunteers, watching them develop and gain confidence as well as enhancing their skills and experience when with us. I meet lots of interesting people in the community and at events.

“I feel very lucky in my role, I have seen volunteers gain employment with us over the years and at one stage, there was 6% off our workforce that came from the volunteer programme, which is amazing. I also had one of my previous volunteers progress in roles to a Service Manager’s role. This is all credit to them and their passion and dedication. It’s a pleasure to be a part of this service.

“I started my career in drug services in 2001, and progressed from a substance misuse worker to a team leader. I then applied for the Volunteer Coordinator role at WithYou 16 years ago and wouldn’t change my role for anything. I once read that ‘if you do something you love, you never work a day in your life’ and this is very true for me and my role.”

To celebrate national volunteers week and thank the current volunteers for their dedication and commitment, the team were invited to a jazz afternoon at Sefton Park’s Palm House, where they enjoyed an afternoon of music, food and great company.

Alison continues:

“For volunteers week, I wanted to organise activities and events for our volunteers to enjoy and reflect on their hard work. The group enjoyed our afternoon together at Sefton Park Palm House and the atmosphere was fantastic.”

For more information about volunteering and WithYou in Liverpool, visit www.wearewithyou.org.uk

WithYou are currently recruiting more volunteers for services across the country, including Liverpool. WithYou are looking for volunteers to lend their time and skills to make a profound difference to people’s lives and gain invaluable experience to the inner workings of drug, alcohol and mental health services.

Ben Reynolds, Head of Volunteering and Client Engagement at WithYou says:

“Our volunteers play an important part in helping us to improve the experience for clients and visitors within our services, supporting alongside our staff to deliver positive outcomes for people’s health and wellbeing in Liverpool.

“Through a variety of different roles our volunteers help to extend our reach within the communities we support, creating a strong local presence in Liverpool and help promote visible recovery. We aim to recruit even more volunteers to support our clients in a variety of impactful ways.

Volunteers are a valued part of our WithYou family and we are hugely grateful that they choose to share their experience, skills and expertise with us. With their continued support we are excited by the opportunities ahead in Liverpool, especially for connecting with and supporting our local communities.”

For more information about volunteering and WithYou in Liverpool, visit wearewithyou.org.uk