News: 2016 Barnsley and Rotherham Business Awards - the winners

Barnsley distribution and warehousing company, Universal Components UK Ltd, were awarded the top prize at this year's Barnsley and Rotherham Business Awards event.

Having won the the ASD Lighting/Rotherham United Excellence in International Trade award earlier in the night, Universal Components walked away with the Business of the Year award, after triumphing over the competition as the winner of winners.

The ceremony, hosted by radio personality Andy Giddings, was this year held at Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham with nearly 500 guests in attendance to celebrate the achievements of the shortlisted individuals and organisations, sponsored by RNN Group.

Rotherham companies recognised on the night with a salute to business included Oxley & Coward Solicitors LLP who were celebrating 225 years in business, Eric Twigg Foods for their 50th year in business and Carlton park Hotel who are celebrating their 35th year.

The most promising new business went to Jump Inc. The leisure company opened its first site in Rotherham last year and has since opened trampoline parks in Sheffield and Leeds. Highly commended in the same category was Bliss Internet, the Rotherham-based ISP that establish superfast broadband for the community of Treeton.

Rotherham United's Community Sports Trust was the winner in the Community Impact award recognising the activities led by the community development programme that works across the borough of Rotherham in deprived areas. Youth project, Team Katalyst, which offers a variety of coaching, educational and recreational products from its Rotherham base, was highly commended.

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Rotherham-based Vertex Access won the Design & Innovation award. The Templeborough company provides industrial rope access operatives for a variety of operations as an alternative for expensive methods such as scaffolding - from abseiling to drones. Rotherham testing laboratory, ALcontrol was highly commended.

Molly Charlesworth of the host venue, Magna, was highly commended in the Apprentice of the Year award and Carlton Park hotel was highly commended in the new Leisure & Tourism category, as were Jump Inc. Innovative Rotherham firm Roy Hatfield was highly commended in Business Growth award.

The Skills Development award went to The Source Academy. Based at Meadowhall, the flagship centre provides state of the art training and development facilities with a focus on the retail and service sector. A Rotherham base opened on the High Street in 2011.

Andrew Denniff, chief executive at the Chamber of Commerce, said: "As always the evening was superb, reflecting all that is best in our City Region. My congratulations go out to all our winners and especially Universal Components, the Business of the Year.

"Our guests can certainly say that they were part of the "evening of the year" in the Sheffield City Regions business calendar, and all our shortlisted entrants can congratulate themselves in contributing to another successful event."

This year also saw the Chamber present their Charity of the Year award to Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children, who received £3,000 in prize money, supported by Secure Power.

A full list of results is as follows:

The Enterprising Barnsley Most Promising New Business Award
Winner – Jump Inc.
Highly Commended – Bliss Internet
Highly Commended – Hatfield Energy Ltd

The Rotherham Together Partnership Business Community Impact Award
Winner – Rotherham United Community Sports Trust
Highly Commended – Berneslai Homes
Highly Commended – Team Katalyst

The Steelphalt Harsco Design and Innovation in Business Award
Winner – Vertex Access
Highly Commended – ALcontrol Laboratories
Highly Commended – Spin Print Solutions

The Julie Kenny CBE, DL Apprentice of the Year Award
Winner – Ricky Curtis of Palmer Construction Ltd
Highly Commended – Kairon Flowers of Interserve Learning & Employment
Highly Commended – Molly Charlesworth of Magna

The Visit Rotherham Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Award
Winner – Calypso Cove Waterpark
Highly Commended – Carlton Park Hotel
Highly Commended – Jump Inc.

The ASD Lighting/Rotherham United Excellence in International Trade Award
Winner – Universal Components UK Ltd
Highly Commended – Numill Ltd
Highly Commended – Tadano UK Ltd

The Airmaster/Mitsubishi Digital and Creative Award
Winner – DEB Chartered Accountants
Highly Commended – Hydra Creative Ltd
Highly Commended – Spin Print Solutions

The Jeremy Neal Skills Development Award
Winner – The Source Skills Academy
Highly Commended – Jump Inc.
Highly Commended – Merlinsoft Ltd

The Brook Corporate Developments Manufacturing Excellence Award
Winner – Numill Ltd
Highly Commended – Building Product Solutions
Highly Commended – The RTN Group

The RNN Training Business Growth Award
Winner – Capital B Media
Highly Commended – Crystal Clean Service Ltd
Highly Commended – Roy Hatfield

The Academy for Chief Executives Business Person of the Year Award
Winner – Michelle Bailey of Active Response Security
Highly Commended – Lisa Pogson of Airmaster Air Conditioning Ltd
Highly Commended – Matt Travis of Enzygo Limited

Charity of the Year Award – In association with Secure Power
Winner – Newlife
Foundation for Disabled Children
Highly Commended – Barnsley Hospice
Highly Commended – Hallam FM’s Cash for Kids

Chamber website

Images: Tom Austen / Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber

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News: Funding boost for Team Katalyst

The team behind a unique performance centre in Rotherham has secured £5,520 from UK Steel Enterprise (UKSE) to help kick-start its Katalyst Kreations project.

Team Katalyst offers a variety of coaching, educational and recreational products from their spacious new base, The Team Katalyst Performance Centre on Barbot Hall Industrial Estate. Converting an industrial unit, the team provides over 60 classes a week in martial arts, dance, cheerleading, gymnastics and parkour with over 1,000 young people.

UK Steel Enterprise, a subsidiary of Tata Steel, was launched in 1975 to support the economic development of steel industry areas, to this day it has helped over 6,000 businesses with investments upwards of £88m, and has created over 75,000 jobs.

Last year UK Steel Enterprise invited schools and organisations working with young people aged 18 and under to apply for a cut of £40,000 funding available through the 40:40 Challenge. Across the year a total of 14 projects were awarded funds ranging from £150 to £6,000.

Team Katalyst is to use the funding to create an on-site business hub with the facilities to deliver four six-week intensive enterprise workshops in addition to on-going social media and online communication training, for young people in the area.

The workshops will be run by a team of professional photographers, film makers, app and game designers; who will work alongside the Team Katalyst management team in order to provide 14 to 16 year-olds with knowledge of business and entrepreneurship to assist them with creating their own business.

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Richard Codd, project manager for Team Katalyst, said: "The funding from UK Steel Enterprise will allows us to fulfil our plans for expansion and provide us with the necessary facilities to fully utilise the business hub.

"We want to share our own experiences of business and entrepreneurship with the next generation and offer valuable skills and training outside of the traditional educational setting and to create a hub of creativity, advice and networking."

Allan Wood, regional executive for UK Steel Enterprise, added: "We were delighted to be able to provide the funding that Team Katalyst need in order to realise their ambition for growth and expansion – supporting an increasing number of young people in the region to learn valuable business skills that they will be in a position to draw upon of throughout their adult life."

Richard Codd's Team Katalyst was named as the "Business Most Determined to Succeed" at the Rotherham Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2015. Rotherham Youth Enterprise (RYE), which runs the awards and backs young entrepreneurs in the borough, has been with Richard every step of his business journey.

Team Katalyst website
UK Steel Enterprise website

Images: UKSE

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News: Jessie waltzes away with young entrepreneur of the year title

Jessica Long, owner of the J L Dance Academy, has been named as the Rotherham Young Entrepreneur of the Year for 2015.

Part of the Rotherham Youth Enterprise (RYE) Project, which provides help and support to young business owners, the awards take place annually in partnership with UK Steel Enterprise, a subsidiary of Tata Steel that has set aside finance from its Kickstart Fund to target young entrepreneurs in Rotherham.

From her own studio base in Masbrough, 19-year-old Jess offers dance training and fitness classes for people of all ages and ability levels. Everything from baby ballet and street dance right through to zumba and pilates is catered for.

Jessie impressed judges to first win £500 in the Best New Start-Up category, with sponsor Richard Bailey of construction firm, Wilmott Dixon saying that the judges were "blown away by the level of entrepreneurial skill," adding that she showed business skills beyond her age.

Having entered the competition last year, it was on the very same day that Jessica stood in front of the judging panel that she signed the lease on her own premises in a former tile shop at the Old School House on Masbrough Street.

Having made the final but been empty-handed last year, judges admitted that, at the time, they had question marks about figures in the business plan and questioned what she was taking on. One year later and some classes now have waiting lists due to their popularity, encouraging the young entrepreneur to think about further expansion.

Jessica Long, owner of the J L Dance Academy, said: "I was running classes from rented accommodation and paying by the hour for rooms which didn't make business sense. The new premises are fantastic.

"I always wanted to run my own business - I never wanted to work for someone else - but this is thanks to a massive team effort. I've had lots of support from my family and Rotherham Youth Enterprise."

Jessie received a trophy, a further cash prize of £1,000 from Keith Williams from sponsor, UKSE, in addition to a year's membership to Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce.

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Other category winners were Richard Codd of Team Katalyst who run a wide range of activities at their unique performance centre. In winning £500 as the "Business Most Determined to Succeed", sponsor Julia from Rotherham College said the business demonstrated growth potential and professionalism in providing opportunities for young people in the local community.

The Best Established Business, for those trading for over two years, was named as The Screening Project - where owner Jack Barton creates original and cutting edge digital media for businesses and charities around the country. Presenting the £500 prize, George Elliot from The Source was impressed by the "amazing" standard of all the entrants.

For the second year running, Infinity Digital was named as the borough's Most Innovative Business. Sponsor Richard from AESEEAL commended Rebecca Coupe's innovative business model, adding that the digital marketing expert's business was "vibrant and sustainable."

The awards were announced at the Local Employment Advisory Forum at Magna where finalists were also recognised and presented with £50 prizes.

Rotherham Youth Enterprise website

Images: Tom Austen

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