South East England Development Agency (SEEDA)

At the first SEEDA Sustainable Business Awards Presentation at Epsom Racecourse, Environment Minister Michael Meacher gave clear backing to the Awards Scheme.

"This is an initiative I wholly support. It has given the opportunity to showcase many examples of the excellent efforts business are making to improve their environmental performance, whilst also bringing benefits in efficiency, competitiveness and social performance."

The quality achievements of the 14 finalists for the SEEDA Awards impressed the Minister and he urged other businesses to learn from their example.

Overall winner for the SEEDA Sustainable Business Awards 2001 was The Beacon Press, Uckfield, East Sussex. The Beacon Press is a printing company, which has become a world leader in environmental printing technology. The company's positive commitment to minimising its environmental impact has not only achieved significant environmental and financial savings, but has become a unique selling point. For Beacon, sustainability has become a way of life.

SEEDA's Chairman, Allan Willett, explained that Beacon Press was given the award for

"Their commitment and determination to achieve a sustainable operation, for their continuing efforts to reduce their environmental impact, for their work with local communities, and for setting an excellent example for others to follow."

Finalists nominated by the Kent Sustainable Business Partnership were Independent Insurance Services, Folkestone, Kent, Luddesdown Organic Farms Ltd, Kent and PPR WIPAG Ltd, Ashford Kent.

Independent Insurance Services is a small Insurance brokers which has introduced a range best practice initiatives, such as waste minimisation and energy efficiency. It is the first Insurance Broker in the UK to achieve ISO 14001 accreditation.

Luddesdown Organic Farms Ltd operates 2 organic farms. Luddesdown is one of 15 Organic Demonstration Farms in England, hosting visits for farmers investigating conversion to an organic system. Its management practices encourage biodiversity and it works with local councils, collecting green household waste for composting.

PPR WIPAG reclaim the materials in car instrument panels and convert them to a compound which meets the exact specification of the original manufacture. The company reprocess 35 tonnes of material per week. PPR WIPAG aim to reduce its overall environmental impacts, for example, by minimising company car journeys.

The SEEDA Sustainable Business Awards were presented by SEEDA's Chairman, Allan Willett who emphasised that while SEEDA's key objective is to improve the economic performance of the South East, it would be failing if it achieved that objective at the expense of our quality of life. SEEDA takes a broad approach to all its projects, integrating economic, social and environmental objectives, which, ultimately, will deliver sustainable development across the South East.

Through the Sustainable Business Awards, SEEDA aims to highlight best practice and celebrate real achievement by business in the region - and, in doing so, to encourage other businesses to take a look at their own operations, and to take the first steps towards sustainability.

All nominees received support and guidance from their local Business Environment Forums (also know as Sustainable Business Partnerships), with each sub-regional BEF represented at the Awards ceremony. SEEDA works with these local groups to promote Sustainable practice to the business community.

The Judging Panel faced a very difficult task in choosing a winner from the 14 excellent finalists. In addition to the overall winner, two 'highly commended' awards were given to Independent Insurance Services, Folkestone, Kent; and National Air Traffic Services of Gatwick, West Sussex.

The SEEDA Sustainable Business Awards will become an annual event with details of an expanded Awards Scheme announced in the New Year.

(left to right)
Host for the evening, Juliet Morris; Principal of Independent Insurance Services, Ray Johnson; Chairman of the winning company, The Beacon Press, Mark Fairbrass; SEEDA Chairman, Allan Willett; and a representative from NATS.