NNBN AWARDS LAUNCHED TO CELEBRATE NORTHAMPTONSHIRE BUSINESSES, CHARITIES AND ENTREPRENEURS

Calling all entrepreneurs, charities, startups and businesses, small and large – The new NNBN awards ceremony has been launched, which covers the whole of Northamptonshire.

County-wide membership organisation NNBN has today unveiled its latest offer –the Northamptonshire NNBN Awards 2023. There are 12 categories now open to enter, including business and charity of the year, one for start-ups and categories for food and drink, hair and beauty and health and wellbeing.

Simon Cox, the co-founder of NNBN, said: “After successfully running the Kettering Business Awards for the last four years, we’re delighted to be expanding and opening this up to the of Northamptonshire. Northamptonshire is a fantastic county full of enterprising entrepreneurs, established businesses and global brands this year. We’re excited to bring you the NNBN Business Awards to recognise and celebrate innovative, hardworking, and enterprising businesses across the county.”

Jessica Pilkington, Director of PR and marketing company Pilkington Communications – one of the event sponsors – added: “Awards are a great way to elevate your brand. Being unveiled as a finalist –let alone a winner – means your brand will be promoted very positively. It’s very costeffective publicity.

“If you ever submit tenders then an award win helps you stand out, plus they are great for staff morale. The simple act of writing your award application can be useful – it gives you a unique opportunity to reflect on your organisation, your team or a recent project. Put simply, entering awards makes good business sense. They can increase sales, boost your profile and exposure, and help you leave the competition in your wake.”

The event sponsors are: Wilson Brown Solicitors, Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce, North Northamptonshire Council, Poppy Design Studio and Pilkington Communications.

Categories now open:

Business of the Year – sponsored by Action Coach Oakham & Kettering

Business Person of the Year – sponsored by Square Feet Co Working

Charity of the Year – sponsored by Commsave Credit Union

Food & Drink Business of the Year – sponsored by Groundwork Northamptonshire

Tourism Award – sponsored by Discover Northamptonshire

Green Award – sponsored by North Northamptonshire Council

Health and Wellbeing Business of the Year – sponsored by Brackmills Business

Improvement District (BID)

Micro Business of the Year - sponsored by Nick Freeman Photography

Start-Up Business of the Year

Micro Business of the Year

Small Business of the Year

Hair and Beauty Business of the Year

Special Recognition Award

Entries close at 12pm on 30th June

LOCAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AWARDS OVER £2.5 MILLION IN GRANTS TO THOSE IN NEED ACROSS THE COUNTY

The recent end of the financial year saw the end of Northamptonshire Community Foundation’s biggest grant-making year since it was first established 22 years ago, outside of delivering emergency funds during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Over £22.5 million in grants has been awarded to charities and community groups across Northamptonshire. Projects such as food banks, mental health support groups and wellbeing activities for the county’s most vulnerable residents have been sustained by funds awarded through the Foundation.

Rachel McGrath, CEO of Northamptonshire Community Foundation, said: ‘One of our biggest years of grant making has been made possible because of the extraordinary generosity of our private, corporate and public donors and our partners.

A heartfelt thank you on behalf of our foundation team who have worked very hard to ensure this generosity has the greatest impact across our towns, villages and neighbourhoods.

And on behalf of our donors, staff, volunteers, patrons and trustees we say an especially big thank you to our brilliant small, local charities and community organisations whose work it is our privilege to support and who make all the difference on our doorstep.’

Northamptonshire Community Foundation are the leading independent grant-making charity in the county, supporting Northamptonshire’s most in-need residents and helping local donors and businesses to change the world on their doorstep. Find out more by reading their most recent impact report or taking a look at their website: www.ncf.uk.com

West Northamptonshire Council To Take Step Forward In Delivering The A43 Major Road Scheme

The dualling of the A43 carriageway between Northampton and the A14 at Kettering has reached a major milestone as West Northamptonshire Council’s (WNC) cabinet reviews and agrees plans to deliver the next phase.

On Tuesday, 11 April WNC’s cabinet members considered and approved the proposals for the upcoming phase three. This work will complete the section of the A43 within WNC boundaries and make improvements to the Holcot / Sywell roundabout.

This forms part of a longer-term aspiration to vastly improve connectivity from Northampton to the A14 at Kettering helping to relieve congestion and improve journey times. Further improvement works following the completion of phase 3 will be delivered and determined by North Northamptonshire Council (NNC), although WNC is supportive of these improvements to the strategic road network.

So far, the stretch of the A43 between the Round Spinney roundabout and the newly built Overstone Grange roundabout has been dualled, with work taking place in three phases between 2015 and 2020.

Phase three will see the dual carriageway continue from Overstone Grange to the Holcot / Sywell roundabout, reducing congestion and journey times in this area. This work will be delivered in partnership between WNC and NNC.

As the scheme is being delivered across WNC and NNC areas, the works will be jointly developed by the two councils and, as most of the scheme lies within West Northamptonshire, WNC will be the lead authority, with appropriate involvement and funding from NNC.

Cllr Phil Larratt, Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport, Highways and Waste at WNC, said: “This road scheme is a significant priority for the Council and once complete, will have many benefits for road users travelling between Northampton and Kettering, as well as the surrounding areas.”

“The road will also help facilitate the further development of Overstone Grange, delivering much needed housing within the area.”

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“We know that the next phase of works will cause disruption, and we hope that drivers will soon benefit from reduced congestion in this area. Following the review of plans, I am pleased that cabinet approved the next steps and I look forward to WNC and NNC taking a step forward in delivering this exciting project.”

A similar proposal will go before NNC’s Executive on 20 April. Subject to approval, work will then progress to prepare the outline business case. Subject to gaining the necessary approvals and funding, it is anticipated that construction could begin in early 2026, with completion in Spring 2027.

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