Search on for Midlands’ best family business

The search is on to find the Midlands’ best family businesses and their leaders following the launch of an all-new, prestigious and not-for-profit set of Awards, underwritten by The Wilson Organisation.

The inaugural Midlands Family Business Awards will showcase the achievements of family businesses and their leaders to give the region's best run and most innovative family businesses the chance to shine.

The Awards already have the backing of sponsors RSM Tenon, Young & Pearce Solicitors, Blusource, Connect Midlands, EFG Private Bank, Aviva, AXA Elevate and The Mitre Group, with additional support from Business Link.

The Awards launched at Leicester's Hotel Maiyango at an event attended by more than eighty representatives of the region's businesses and leading family-run and owned businesses.

Speaking at the event, Awards' Project Manager Hilary Campton explained: "The Awards are open to any Midlands-based family business regardless of their size or industry sector. There is no charge for making an entry, and submissions can be made easily online at the Awards' website www.familybusinessawards.co.uk.

"The Awards categories cover our headline ‘Family Business of the year', sponsored by RSM Tenon, ‘Best development of talent', ‘Overcoming adversity', ‘Personal excellence', ‘Development of international markets', ‘Business innovation of the year', ‘Fastest growing family business', ‘Commitment to the community', ‘Outstanding contribution by a non-family member', ‘Leading adviser to family businesses', and ‘Best newly established family business'.

"Nominations for the Awards open on the 4th May, and entries to all of the ten categories are free. Businesses can nominate themselves for as many categories as they wish, and make submissions on behalf of clients' or friends' family businesses," she said.

Designed as a not-for-profit venture, all proceeds from the Midlands Family Business Awards will go to three charities that support young enterprise and young people - The Children's Society, a leading children's charity committed to making childhood better for all children in the UK, The Willow Foundation that provides special days for seriously ill young adults, and The Venture Foundation, which offers educational, health and fitness programmes to young people considered ‘at risk' and who have fallen out of the education and care system.

Charlotte Prow, MD of Wilsons, who runs the business alongside her sister Annabel, explained: "Our aim is that the Awards will raise significant funds for these charities which are each focussed on creating and providing opportunities for young people.

"As a family-owned and run business, Wilsons is strongly committed to the family business sector and to helping its leaders succeed. The time is right to turn the spotlight on the great contribution family businesses and their leaders make, by launching this new Award scheme to celebrate the impact family businesses make here in the Midlands."

The Awards have secured a panel of independent inspirational judges drawn from leading family businesses from across the UK, and includes James Timpson (MD, Timpson), Tim Storer (MD, Pukka Pies), Peter Thornton (former Chairman of Thorntons plc), Peter Leach (author, Family Businesses: The Essentials), Grant Gordon (Director General, Institute for Family Business), Judy Naake (founder, St Tropez), Carrie Rubins (Director, Pentland Group) and Mark Samworth (Samworth Brothers).

The panel will complete the first stage of judging in July to create a shortlist of five in each award category who will then go forward to the informal interview stage in September. The judges will then select three finalists in each category with all individual winners announced at a glittering Awards ceremony on Thursday 11th November.

For more information and to complete an online entry to the 2010 Midlands Family Business Awards, visit: www.familybusinessawards.co.uk or contact Wilsons' Marketing Manager Leah Bradley, email: lbradley@wilorg.com.