Isle of Wight bus company Southern Vectis were crowned both Sustainable Business of the Year and winners of the Large Business category in a gala dinner and celebration at the De Vere Grand Harbour Hotel in Southampton, as the Sustainable Business Awards 2010 reached their culmination. After a rigorous initial application, shortlisting, assessment and judging process only the finest and strongest examples of sustainable business from across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight made it through to the finals, meaning that Southern Vectis's achievements are truly exemplary and inspirational.
Their genuine commitment in a difficult industry to all aspects of sustainable business activity coupled with impressive achievements across the board truly made them stand out, and their important contribution to the local community and economy and their commitment to their workforce alongside their impressive environmental achievements in reducing fuel consumption, carbon emissions and waste both across their fleet and within their back office operation in the eyes of the judges perfectly met the spirit of the awards.
You can find information on some of the key achievements of every one of our finalists across six categories in the presentation slides below, and keep a look out of case studies on every business, starting with our winners, as they appear in the coming weeks.
A copy of the full script from the Sustainable Business Awards Ceremony, with complete details of the awards finalists is available upon request.
Our full list of category winners was:
Micro-Business (Sponsored by Hampshire County Council):
Rapanui Isle of Wight-based fashion producers for their all encompassing sustainability ethos and in particular environmental achievements, including a world-first full traceability service for customers which allows them to use interactive maps to monitor exactly where their clothing comes from and how it is produced.
Small Business (Sponsored by Business Link):
The Sustainability Centre a unique combination of environmental services and facilities for businesses and the general public, backed up by strong social and community principles and solid economic performance.
Medium Business (Sponsored by the Environment Agency):
Marwell Wildlife A strong business model with sustainability built in at every decision-making level. Years of economic success have permitted reinvestment in some showcase environmental and social projects, enhanced by a demonstrable commitment across their operation.
Medium Business: Highly Commended - Hampshire Cosmetics - exciting innovation in their business operation and product range, numerous environmental and social achievements within the company and across the supply chain and a very forward-looking approach. Extremely close runners-up in the closest-fought category of the night.
Large Business (Sponsored by Vitacress):
Southern Vectis 10% carbon emission reductions in a year in a notoriously difficult sector, huge fuel savings impacting positively on the bottom line and true innovation in services for customers with the creation of a car scrappage scheme offering free use of services for the general public.
Sustainable Built Environment (Sponsored by SMART / SEEDA):
UK Youth for the Avon Tyrell Centre - a small but perfectly-formed build project - educational classroom constructed using a variety of sustainable construction techniques including straw bale, use of recycled materials and rammed earth, creating a high-efficiency, low-impact building.
Sustainable Built Environment: Highly Commended - Highbury College:
Inspirational new campus demonstrating remarkable energy savings and environmental impact reductions, including strong commitment to use of renewable energies.
Leadership (Sponsored by the Sustainable Business Network):
Permanent Publications - Producers of globally renowned Permaculture Magazine. Ongoing commitment to sustainability building on earlier successes, sharing with and inspiring other businesses with their own story.
Sustainable Business of the Year 2010
Southern Vectis
The Sustainable Business Partnership would like to take this opportunity once again to say a huge thank you to all of the sponsors and supporters without whose commitment and assistance these Awards would simply not be possible. Please take a moment to see who they are and how they have helped, whether in sponsoring a category, assessing and judging, or in the case of Hillier Nurseries decking out the ceremony in such style!
…and it doesn't end there!
Well done to all of our finalists, and of course our winners in particular. If you weren't successful this time, why not start now on those actions you have planned and prepare yourself for the Sustainable Business Awards 2011. The SBP will be here to help you every step of the way...
Awards produced by Sue Tinkler of Tinklertastic.
Now that we have our winners we will be producing case studies on all of our finalists and taking their inspirational stories and cutting edge ideas out to a wider audience. Keep a look out over the coming year for showcase events, site visits, articles and features - join us to see first hand some of the achievements you have read about on these pages. If you'd like to be kept informed of these and any of our other activities simply make sure you are signed up for free as a member of the Sustainable Business Network and / or Sustainable Construction Network. |
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