Variety in hunt to find best in the business

Assem Allam fled persecution in Egypt to set up one of Hull’s most successful export businesses.

The board at R&R Ice Cream of North Yorkshire consolidated the ice cream market in Britain and then Europe.

All three were named winners at Variety’s Yorkshire Business Awards in 2012.

The search is now on for Yorkshire’s best SMEs, business leaders and boards for this year’s awards, which celebrate business success and raise money to help needy children in Yorkshire.

Martin Shaw, chairman of the awards for the last 22 years, told the Yorkshire Post: “This awards event was created during the boom years of the mid-1980s to recognise all the successful Yorkshire businesses of the time and their ability to grow.

“It was also a chance for the shareholders, directors and partners of those businesses to give something back, focusing on improving the lives of disabled and disadvantaged children.

“That recognition is equally true today if not more so as businesses emerge from the most difficult and prolonged recession ever.

“We invite all businesses, large and small, to make known their successes so we can applaud them.”

Mr Shaw, who is a senior corporate lawyer at Pinsent Masons, added: “Last year’s event celebrated the 26th year of the awards and raised a fantastic £120,000 for the Variety Children’s Charity.

“Despite the recession, I continue to be amazed at the support from the Yorkshire business community.

“Well over £3m has been raised at the Yorkshire Business Awards Lunch which has enabled Variety to provide more than 70 Sunshine coaches, 150 electric wheelchairs and 500 important items of equipment for the sick, disabled and disadvantaged children of Yorkshire.

“There is no doubt that growing recognition of the importance of corporate social responsibility by successful businesses, including their management and staff, for the wellbeing of those less fortunate has helped us to support the lives of those children.”

Beneficiaries include Lucy Chambers, a six-year-old girl with severe cerebral palsy. She cannot stand, sit, kneel or feed herself and needs very strong glasses in order to see.

She has daily physio sessions that are crucial to avoid painful contractions of her muscles.

Lucy is described as a chatterbox with a sunny personality who loves music and dance, pretend games, swimming and diving under water.

She tries hard to feed herself and likes to make choices; what to wear, what to eat and what games to play with her twin sister, Emily.

Variety bought Lucy a Gracile MotoMed exercise bike, the same model as she uses in a specialist physio centre she attends once a year in the Czech Republic.

Her mother said: “Having the Gracile at home increases Lucy’s exercise programme and this contribute to our goal of making her body strong and balanced enough to undergo the surgery that might mean one day she would be able to walk.”

Another beneficiary is Cameron Jones, an eight-year-old boy with learning difficulties, Down Syndrome and other complex health needs relating to his breathing, hearing and sight.

He was removed from his mother’s care as a baby due to concerns about his welfare and he is now being cared for by foster parents.

He is described as a delightful and bubbly boy, but he struggles to socialise with other children and prefers adult company.

Variety sent him a sensory toy to help enhance stimulation, exploration and improve his quality of life.

The Yorkshire Post is the event’s media partner, while Howgate Sable, the leading independent executive search consultancy, is main sponsor for 2013.

Co-sponsors are Yorkshire Bank, Design Portfolio Marketing Services, Ernst & Young, NM Rothschild, Pace plc, Henderson Insurance Brokers, Pinsent Masons and Yorkshire Building Society.

Nominations are now being sought for categories of Board of the Year, Business Leader of the Year and Yorkshire SME of the Year, which is sponsored by Yorkshire Bank for companies with a turnover of up to £100m.

Send nominations, including financial information, to [email protected] by October 23.

Tickets for the event, which takes place on December 13, can be bought via [email protected]

• VARIETY, the Children’s Charity, has lined up Howgate Sable, the executive search consultancy, as the new main sponsor of the Yorkshire Business Awards.

Partner Martin Boyle is leading the engagement on behalf of Howgate Sable and will have a hands-on role in both the judging and the execution of what promises to be another sell-out event.

Awards chairman Martin Shaw said: “We are delighted to have Martin and Howgate Sable on board. We are very proud of the long-running success of the Yorkshire Business Awards and believe Martin will help us with our aim of continually refreshing and revitalising the event and not only providing a day to remember, but raising significant funds to help disabled and disadvantaged children in our region.”