Sir Trveor McDonald to be key note speaker at Variety Awards

The 77-year-old veteran, best known for presenting News at Ten on ITV, will appear at the Queen’s Hotel in Leeds on Friday December 9 at the annual dinner in support of children’s charity Variety.

Sir Trevor, still an active broadcaster and journalist, will have plenty of material to draw on having enjoyed a career stretching over 50 years.

Having begun his career in his native Trinidad he was employed by the BBC in the late 1960s before moving to ITN, a broadcaster he would be associated for much of the rest of his career, becoming a household name and familiar to millions for his authoritative and compelling style.

Although retired from the presenter’s role for eight years he produces programmes each year for ITV, most recently presenting a two-part series called Inside Scotland Yard with Trevor McDonald.

Sir Trevor will also appear alongside BBC news presenter Louise Minchin who will be compare for the evening.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Yorkshire Business Awards which has raised over £3m for sick, disabled and disadvantaged children from across the region.

Since they were launched in 1986, helping to pay for 70 Sunshine coaches, 150 wheelchairs and 500 general appeals.

Over the years, it has become a premier fixture in the business calendar with over 500 Yorkshire businessmen and women attending; comprising of the top management of all the public companies headquartered in the region as well as most of the regions professional advisers. The Yorkshire Post is media partner for the event.

The shortlist for the awards can also now be officially unveiled.

The award for Board of the Year will be contested between Zenith, Karro and Principle.

The accolade for SME of the year will be fought out between Ultima, TPP and Tracsis.

Young Business of the year sees The Floow, Red’s True Barbacue and Jump inc going head-to-head.

Finally, the variety Lifetime Achievement Award will go to highly acclaimed actress, Dame Diana Rigg.

Born in Doncaster, the acting legend is best known for her role in The Avengers and for appearing in the James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

She has most recently been cast in the HBO smash television series Game of Thrones in which she plays Olenna Tyrell.

Duncan Syers from Town Centre Securities and regional chairman for Variety said: “The Yorkshire Business Awards are a landmark event in the region’s business calendar. 


“This year we are thrilled to welcome as guests two genuine national treasures. It is a great testimony to the power of these awards that we have managed to attract such high profile speakers.

“It promises to be a fantastic event and we are looking forward to it hugely.

“The funds this event produces allow the charity to deliver genuinely life-changing services for children in desperate need.

“It also allows us to celebrate what’s great and good about Yorkshire’s businesses. Judging was hard this year but in the end the panel is satisfied with what we have to offer.”

The Yorkshire Business Awards is organised by Variety, the Children’s Charity. There are a very limited number of tickets remaining, book now to avoid disappointment.

Judges from the main sponsors Leeds Beckett University, Rothschild, EY, Design Portfolio, Clarion, Yorkshire Bank, Henderson and Endless, as well as The Yorkshire Post spent several hours going through the submissions before coming up with a shortlist.

Tickets are available from http://www.yorkshirebusinessawards.org.