Whitley Stimpson
Established Business Winner sponsored by Spratt Endicott Solicitors
Overall Cherwell Winner sponsored by Norbar Torque Tools
“Whitley Stimpson is recognised by national industry awards but to be acknowledged as a top company within the district is the icing on the cake. Our head office has been based in Cherwell for over 87 years and has grown to provide accountancy and business advice services across offices in Banbury, Bicester, High Wycombe and Witney.
Although we are a large practice we pride ourselves on our personal touch. Our approach is to provide a director–led service to help our clients stay ahead of their field. We give them positive support across many areas of specialism and as a result our company continues to increase its profitability.
We are delighted to have won both the Established Business and Overall Cherwell Winner award which is testament to the success of our excellent team of professionals and support staff who provide outstanding levels of service to our clients. We are committed to doing business in Cherwell and beyond.”
Jonathan Walton, Managing Director, Whitley Stimpson Ltd
High Spec Composites
Winner of the Small Business Award sponsored by NatWest
“We are absolutely thrilled to have been selected as a finalist in the Established Business category and to have won the Small Business Award at this year’s CBAs. The last seven years have been dedicated to a continuous growth and development in an ever-changing and demanding industry; we see this award as testament to the hard work and dedication of our amazing team and to all of those who have supported us in our journey so far. Winning the Small Business award has not only helped us to celebrate the company’s achievements but has also inspired us to focus on some very exciting future plans. We thoroughly enjoyed attending the ceremony and meeting with so many incredible local businesses. Thank you to NatWest, Spratt Endicott and Cherwell Business Awards for all your support and recognition and for inviting us to be part of such a wonderful event.”
A huge thankyou again to everyone involved in the awards, we had a fantastic time and are very pleased to be showing off our trophy and certificates to everyone that we possibly can!”
Sarah Jaycock, Executive Director High Spec Composites Ltd
Ethos Technology
Winner of the New Business Award sponsored by A2Dominion
“Ethos Technology are delighted to have won the ‘New Business of the Year’ category for this year’s Cherwell Business awards.
We are thrilled to have won awards consecutively at the Cherwell Business Awards. In 2017 winning the ‘Innovation and Creativity’ award and now winning ‘New Business of the Year’ award in 2018. Thank you for believing in our business.
Since we started the business in Jan 2015 we have seen the business grow from strength to strength, now representing some of the world’s most exciting and disruptive technology vendors.
Our success is down to the amazing staff we have brought on board and having great peers from the local community to seek advice on numerous subjects, from accounting, HR to general business issues.
We would like to give a big thank you to our sponsors: A2 Dominion and to Bloxham Mill for their continued support in our relentless growth.
We are looking forward to what the future might hold with aims to sponsor the awards in 2019.
Most of all we are proud to be acknowledged by Cherwell for the success we have had.”
Omar Galbraith, CEO, Ethos Technology
EYA Design
Winner of the Micro Business Award sponsored by Bicester Vision, Bicester Chamber and Wednesday Business Club
“The moment EYA Design was named the winner, my heart stopped. In my mind, I was still processing what I had just heard, thinking what should I do next.
It is such a fantastic award that recognises our consistency and hard work and we could not be any more proud.
EYA Design started four years ago and has had a terrific growth in the fashion market. Having recently moved to new premises, our boundaries could not have been any more wide until we received this prize so a tremendous thank you to all the adjudicators, sponsors and organisers.”
Adrian Munoz, EYA Design
Scott MacDonald
Winner of the Young Business Person of the Year Award sponsored by Oxford Innovation
“I feel very honoured to be voted Young Business Person of the Year, especially given the excellent quality of the other two nominees. More than anything the award reflects the hard work and enthusiasm of the small team we are building at Sandy Leaf Farm.
We’re an online only business and before the Cherwell Business Awards we have always kept to ourselves and not had much engagement with the wider local business community. The Cherwell business awards have definitely changed that and were a great opportunity to meet so many other interesting local business owners, especially all the judges whose visits and discussions we found to be an incredibly helpful way to take a step back and think again about our achievements so far and plans for the future.”
Scott MacDonald, Co-Owner of Sandy Leaf Farm
Sarka Sara Wilde
Winner of the Business Person of the Year Award sponsored by Ellacotts
“I feel so honoured and proud to win Business Person of the Year Award at the prestigious Cherwell Business Awards, especially given the fantastic profiles of the other finalists.
It has not been easy to start Distinct Estate Agents in the area I moved to only 8 years ago and had never worked in before. I did not have either a client base or a network of contacts and I have spent the last 5 years building the business, working extremely long hours and building relationships with the local community. I would like to say I would have never achieved anything I have done to date without the support of my business associates and friends. I was delighted to bring a few of them with me to the Cherwell Business Awards gala dinner and we had a really good night. It is well worth coming even if you are not up for an award as the Cherwell Business Awards are a great recognition of everyones hard work regardless of whether they win or not.
I would like to thank all of those who have supported me and continue to do so, namely Tim Tarby-Donald who encouraged me to go through the application process as I was not sure whether I should, to the sponsors of the category Ellacotts and also Bloxham Mill who are continuously supporting Distinct Estate Agents in our growth. Massive acknowledgement also goes to the Cherwell Business Awards team without whom this wonderful awards ceremony would never happen.”
Sarka Sara Wilde, Owner, Distinct Estate Agents
Blue Planet IT
Winner of the Innovation Award sponsored by Begbroke Science Park
“We are delighted to have won The Begbroke Science Park Innovation Award for our product SafeWatch at this year’s Cherwell Business Awards. To be part of this showcase of local business excellence is a real coup for us!
Much of what we do at Blue Planet IT is to help schools, charities and community groups to reap the benefits of the digital world without fear or insecurity. Our role is to make technology accessible to all. We created SafeWatch, an online filtering and reporting tool which allows children to explore the internet safely, to enable schools to comply with government guidance surrounding safeguarding. It protects children online; it also helps schools support the children in their care by flagging up any safeguarding incidents instantly.
We are really excited to be at the cutting edge of safeguarding technology. To have our efforts recognised with this Innovation Award means a great deal to us. We have big plans for SafeWatch –our passion for education and the safety of young people is our driving force.
Our thanks go to everyone involved in this innovation – the Blue Planet IT team, the schools who have worked with us to design and develop it – and to The Cherwell Business Awards for this wonderful opportunity.”
Steven Gordon, Director, Blue Planet IT Ltd
Second Time Around
Winner of the Charity and Community Award sponsored by Bicester Village
“We are absolutely delighted to have received The Charity and Community Award of 2018 and it’s a real honour to have the hard work, care and enterprise of all our staff, clients and volunteers recognised. It is a privilege to work in a charitable business that strives to serve Cherwell residents with such passion, and to have that recognised through the Cherwell Business Awards is fantastic.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Cherwell Business Awards and Bicester Village our sponsor and other local businesses who help us to create even more social good.”
David Hedderly, Trustee STA, Second Time Around