New public service award
Jan 14 2010 By The Journal
PROFIT may be king at a lot of companies. But there are a lot of businesses and organisations which, despite running tight financial operations, are quite uninterested in making money for its own sake.
Charities and public sector bodies such as universities or councils work primarily to provide a public service as well and efficiently they can. But this doesn’t mean they are not largely run like other businesses.
The nebusiness awards, which are organised by The Journal and Evening Gazette in association with Business Link, recognises the qualities of these groups and the importance of highlighting the talent, acumen and hard work which is vital to them.
And we have launched the Not-For-Profit Award this year to highlight the work being done across the region, which would be the envy of many a private sector manager.
The title replaces the Public Sector Award and last year’s winner of that trophy exemplifies what the judges will be looking for.
Tyne and Wear Archives & Museums is in charge of running 12 museums and attractions.
The organisation, which is backed by five councils on Tyneside and Wearside, runs some of the most high-profile tourist and cultural attractions in the North East.
They include the Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens, the Laing Art Gallery and Discovery in Newcastle and the Segedunum Roman Fort and Baths in North Tyneside.
From April last year it threw open the doors of the Great North Museum in Newcastle, a spectacular, £26m new home of 3,500 items taken from three smaller museums in the city. This treasure house won plaudits nationwide since it was officially opened by the Queen.
This year the judges are looking for a broad selection of entries to this new award and have extended the entry deadline until February 15.
The Not-For-Profit Award is just one of more than 30 titles on offer to give a chance for companies of all sizes and types.
The deadline for entries for the other award categories is at 5pm on January 15 and the online entry forms make it easy to be in with a chance of winning this year.
The 2009 winners will toast their successes at a black-tie award presentation dinner at Hardwick Hall near Sedgefield, County Durham, at the end of April.
More than 800 members of the business community, stretching from Berwick in the North, Cumbria to the West and Teesside to the south of the region, will be at the event.
The publicity associated with winning – or even being shortlisted – for an nebusiness award is widely considered to be a fantastic opportunity for boosting a business’s profile ... and staff morale also receives a shot in the arm.
More than 2,000 business people will toast their achievements at the three dinners marking the sub-regional heats and the final black-tie event. In addition to the prestigious final, the three sub-regional dinners will also be marked with newspaper and online reporting.
With 13 categories ranging from best newcomer and small business through to the prestigious title of North East Company of the Year, there truly is something for everyone to enter.
