East Suffolk Awards 2023 Celebrates Community Talent and Achievements at Snape Maltings

The 2023 East Suffolk Awards took place on Tuesday 28^th February at Snape Maltings.  Organised by East Suffolk Council, the Awards celebrated a vast array of business and community successes and initiatives from the last eighteen months.

The evening was hosted for the sixth time by Steve N Allen, the comedian, writer, radio host and  presenter of the Late Night Mash Report.

A total of seventy-five nominations in twelve categories were received for the awards, which this year included five new and revised categories including ‘Apprentice of the year’ and ‘High Street of the Year’.

For the first time, a grant award was also offered for the winner of the ‘Community Next Big Idea’ category. With over thirty businesses and groups represented on the night, alongside the many individual finalists and distinguished guests, the evening was a celebration of the range of talent and aptitude that exists within our community.

Pleasurewood Hills, Magnus PR, Inspire and Litter Free Felixstowe were among the winners. A total of twelve awards were presented throughout the evening, covering categories such as Team of the Year, New Business, Health and Wellbeing, Encouraging Tourism and Business Growth (full list below). The winners received an eco-friendly trophy, along with their certificates.

Cllr Steve Gallant, Leader of East Suffolk Council, said: “I would like to congratulate all of our winners on their thoroughly deserved awards.

“Congratulations, also, to everyone who was nominated for an award this year. It’s never an easy task to choose a winner among so many impressive entries, all of which merit a great deal of praise for making such a positive contribution to the lives of people in East Suffolk.

“And thanks to everyone involved in the organisation of the awards for helping us to recognise these achievements fittingly.”

Andrew Fuller, Sales & Marketing Manager from Pleasurewood Hills said “We are so pleased to have won the Business Growth award having had such a great progression in recent years. Taking the park onwards and upwards is a wonderful journey and we are pleased to have been awarded for our work and efforts. We thank the organizers of the East Suffolk Awards, we had a great time, and look forward to the next one”.

Barrie Hayter from 5^th Woodbridge Sea Scouts said “It was great to see how many amazing organisations, community groups and individuals there are in East Suffolk.  I was so proud to win this award and get recognized for all the work I and the team do for the community. ”

The evening was well supported by a host of sponsors and was a celebration and recognition of the business acumen, community initiatives and individual talent in the area.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS & RUNNERS UP

Community Next Big Idea Award sponsored by East Suffolk Council

WINNER:  Trustees of Jetty Lane in partnership with Lucy Keany

Trustees of Jetty Lane have come together in a new partnership with creative programme deviser Lucy Keany to construct a Playscape, which will be used by early years and neurodivergent children in this part of East Suffolk.

High Street of the Year Award sponsored by East Suffolk Means Business

WINNER: Leiston Church Square

Church Square is an innovation, brought to reality by the vision of a local resident group. The space was an underused and isolated patch of land right in the centre of Leiston.

RUNNERS UP: Halesworth Town Centre

Great Idea Award Sponsored by Cory Brothers

WINNER:  Sammy the Sea Squirt

Ezra Hewing, Head of Education at Suffolk Mind, penned the story of Sammy the Sea Squirt and a local children’s illustrator brought Sammy and friends to life – a unique children’s story to teach children from an early age how to look after their physical and mental health.

RUNNERS UP: Dora Brown, St Philip’s Community Hub, Felixstowe

Green Impact Award Sponsored by Sizewell C

WINNER: Litter-Free Felixstowe

Litter-Free Felixstowe (LFF) is a community interest group which has inspired residents, visitors, schools and businesses to take care of the local area and raise awareness of the environment.

RUNNERS UP: Woodbridge Festival Of Art and Music Andy Sutherland

Community Champion Award Sponsored by Places Leisure

WINNER: Barrie Hayter

Barrie is the Group Scout Leader for 5th Woodbridge Sea Scouts and Deputy District Commissioner (Deben District Perception Lead).

RUNNERS UP: Karen Prime

Business Growth Award sponsored by AB Ports

WINNER: Pleasurewood Hills

Since 2018 park admissions at this popular tourist attraction have grown substantially – along with sales for groups, spend per visitor, sales across the park and with this, overall revenue.

RUNNER UP: Satsuma Group, Dolled Up

Apprentice of the Year sponsored by EDF Energy

WINNER Enamulah Safe

Enamulah is a looked after learner who has relocated from Afghanistan.  His employer, Gilbert Builders have been extremely impressed by his tenacious work ethic and application.  He has demonstrated hand skills above his level of study

RUNNERS UP: Elliot Cropley

Team of the Year Award Sponsored by Everyone Active

WINNER: Inspire

The team at Inspire’s Youth Employment Service (YES.) has worked in East Suffolk to tackle youth unemployment head-on since 2019. The service’s Youth Employment Coaches work with young people aged 16-24 and have delivered 1747 sessions in the last 12 months alone.

RUNNERS UP: Northfield St Nicholas Primary School Catering Team, Dora Brown

New Business Award sponsored by Spider

WINNER:  Satsuma Group

Satsuma provide fully integrated creative services to companies across the UK. They have grown from two members of staff when they first launched in September 2021 to 12 in October 2022. Throughout 2021/22 they have won an average of three clients each month with 100% retention rate.

RUNNERS UP: The Good Dogg, Nexus Ramps

Health and Wellbeing Award sponsored by Active Suffolk

WINNER: – Suffolk Mind

Dora Brown is a social enterprise founded by two Woodbridge mums Sacha Naylor and Rebecca May-Marston. The organisation receives referrals to help families whose homes are almost uninhabitable through neglect due to poverty and mental health crises.

RUNNERS UP:  Dora Brown, Unlock My Life

Encouraging Tourism Award sponsored by East Suffolk Council

WINNER: Magnus PR

Anne-Marie Doggett is the lady behind Magnus PR who have been running unique, wild, and wacky events throughout Lowestoft and Oulton Broad since 2019 to encourage tourism to the area.

RUNNERS UP:  Pleasurewood Hills, Satsuma Group

Community of the Year sponsored by East Suffolk Communities Team

WINNER: Kessingland

RUNNERS UP: Felixstowe, Levington and Stratton Hall Parish Council  Bealings Community Hub

Kessingland has lots to offer the community and the groups in the village work together to make it welcoming for both the residents and the visitors to the area. The local community meet on a bimonthly basis to discuss the wants and needs of the community and how they can work collectively to achieve them. There are many successes but a highlight of 2022 was the Jubilee weekend where a weekend of activity was planned, the Men’s Shed built a beacon that was installed by the Parish Council on the seafront ready for the lighting. A Vintage Dance, Great British Bake off Competition and a family fun day was all organised for the community of Kessingland.

The awards occur every 18 months. All entries must have earned their nomination through activities undertaken within, or for the benefit of East Suffolk. More information on the awards can be found on www.eastsuffolkawards.co.uk