Businesses blossom at awards night success

OLDHAM’S business community turned out in force for a celebration of all that is good about the borough.

A 400-strong crowd flocked to the Queen Elizabeth Hall for the inaugural presentation dinner at the One Oldham Business Awards.

Eric Buchanan, managing director of associate sponsors T&C Fluid Distribution, of Broadgate, said it was the finest event of its kind he had ever attended.

He added: “It was far and away the best event I have ever been to in Oldham. And the hall looked amazing.”

This was was just one of a string of compliments from award winners, finalists, sponsors and guests on a night when the private and public sectors came together to sing the praises of the borough’s commercial sector.

In addition to a night of eight awards and a Lifetime Achievement presentation to David Bellis, founder of Money Controls and chairman of Innovative Technology, more than £2,000 was raised for Dr Kershaw’s Hospice in Royton.

A competition for two business class tickets to any European destination served by the Manchester-based German carrier Lufthansa. Gary Burns, a partner at Union Street solicitors Wrigley Claydon, won the prize, drawn by Oldham Mayor, Councillor Shoab Akhtar.

A host of sponsors from the business world helped make the event a success and there were calls at the end for this to become an annual event.

Table decorations were produced by students at Newbridge School, Fitton Hill, who chose the flowers, planted and cultivated seedlings and decorated the pots with guidance from Groundwork Oldham.

Oldham Council leader Howard Sykes spoke of his pride.

He said: “Too often in Oldham we are talking about the glass being only half-full — tonight we have shown that our glass is nearly always full.

“We have some exceptional businesses and business people and we saw that tonight.”