Sponsors and entrants line-up

Napthens Solicitors, which has offices in Blackpool, Preston, Chorley and Blackburn, are to sponsor the Tourism and Leisure category.

John Whittingslow, head Napthens’ commercial division, said: “As a Lancashire firm working closely with clients and business colleagues across the region, we are delighted to give our support to The Red Rose Awards.

“These awards are a great way to reward the hard work of businesses right across Lancashire and we wanted to be involved in recognising and promoting the achievements of some of our county’s best businesses.”

Napthens line up alongside headline sponsors Forbes Solicitors and other category sponsors Yorkshire Bank, Laura Hartley Recruitment, Huddle Media, the Federation of Small Businesses and YFM Equity Partners.

This year’s inaugural event, which was organised by Lancashire Business View magazine, attracted more than 400 nominations and an audience of nearly 700 to a celebration at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens in March.

Nominations for the 2012 event opened on November 14 and businesses have until January 26 to submit their entries via www.redroseawards.co.uk

The first nominations for the awards have already been received.

Richard Slater, publisher of Lancashire Business View, said: “We’ve already had our first entries in for the 2012 awards, and we are very impressed by the calibre of those entries.

“These are difficult times for business, but the Red Rose Awards demonstrate that there is still much to shout about, and in Lancashire we have always tended to roll up our sleeves and get on with the task in hand.”

To sponsor or take part in the Red Rose Awards, visit www.redroseawards.co.uk. The closing date is January 26 2012 and the celebration will take place, once again, at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool, on March 15.