Red Rose Awards back on the march

The Red Rose Awards, Lancashire’s biggest celebration of business, has launched its 2023 programme.

The 13th iteration of the popular event brings plenty of new ideas - including new categories and a new judging venue - while many familiar elements remain the same.

Forbes Solicitors, headline sponsor every year since the inaugural event in 2011, return alongside Barclays, which has sponsored the event for each of the last ten years.

The awards also return to their usual springtime date, taking place again in March, and Blackpool’s iconic Winter Gardens will once more play host. Covid disruption meant the two previous events took place in November 2021 and June 2022.

New categories have been introduced following discussions with judges, winners and finalists from previous years.

The Transformation Award will reward innovation and resilience; the Environmental, Social and Governance Award replaces the CSR Award, and the Commitment to Skills Award is back on the docket.

In-person judging continues to play an integral role in the awards programme. Not only does bringing together the hand-picked judges and the shortlisted hopefuls help the panel select their winner in each category, but the two-day event, this year to be hosted at the home of Burnley FC, also presents an unrivalled networking opportunity.

It is just one of a series of events in the Red Rose Awards calendar designed to bring businesses together, start conversations and build relationships. In addition to the awards ceremony, companies will also be invited to the launch event at Thwaites Brewery on October 6, and there will be an invitation-only winners’ reception.

Pauline Rigby, managing partner at Forbes, said: “We have been delighted to back the biggest business awards in the Lancashire as headline partner since its inception 13 years ago.

“Our roots are firmly in Lancashire and we are proud to be part of the Red Rose Awards campaign which champions the success of the fantastic business community here.

“Over the years the awards have given us the opportunity to meet and work with so many fantastic companies. As always, we look forward to hearing the stories of those that enter this year, meeting the finalists at judging and celebrating on the night!”

John Stanworth, head of Lancashire and Cumbria at Barclays, said: “We are thrilled to
support the Red Rose Awards once again and 2023 marks a decade for Barclays as headline partner.

“The awards gets bigger and better year on year and the awards ceremony itself is the biggest of its kind in the county.

“Being associated with success is where we want to be and the Red Rose Awards gives us the chance to promote to our clients as well as the opportunity to give something back to the community.

“We encourage all to enter and look forward to meeting you at the judging stages and on the awards night!”

Richard Slater, director of the Red Rose Awards, said: “We are excited to be bringing the Red Rose Awards back for another year and can’t wait to get the programme underway.

“Each year we bring new ideas to the table: some we’ll announce in advance such as the new categories, others we’ll keep secret until the events themselves. But to have the support of our two headlines sponsors - Forbes Solicitors and Barclays - for another year, and to return to the Winter Gardens once again, allows us to keep on building on the successful events of past years.

Richard added: "With the Red Rose Awards we have created more than a fantastic night of celebration - it has become a series of events designed to bring together as many of Lancashire's businesses as possible to do more business and tell the world just how good our businesses are.”

The Red Rose Awards are held in association with Forbes Solicitors and Barclays.

Entries are now open until midnight, Friday 9 December 2022 at www.redroseawards.co.uk

The Awards are sponsored by Alcidion, Bigtank Video Productions, Burnley Football Club, Campbell and Rowley, Cube Thinking, Daniel Thwaites, ELE Advanced Technologies, Four Recruitment, Fox Group, Harrison Drury Solicitors, Peter Scott Printers, Pierce, PM+M, Porsche Centre Bolton, Porsche Centre Preston, United Utilities and University of Central Lancashire.

The Red Rose Awards are supported by Brewin Dolphin Partners&, Shout Connect and Winter Gardens.

The charity partner is Community Foundation for Lancashire.