On 18th November 2021, we were awarded the COVID Resilience and Response Award at the fifth annual Newham Business Awards organised by the Newham Chamber of Commerce. The previous two years had been very challenging for everyone and so it was a real joy to have this recognition of our effort and success.
What made it even better was the fact this was a local award decided upon by local people. LNPS has always been a company with a strong community spirit. We began as a department within Newham Council and, while our reach has grown, we still have a very strong focus on this neighbourhood and the businesses that make up our community. It was therefore wonderful to be recognised by other Newham business leaders.
Collecting our award at Newham Business Awards 2021
However, this year things are different.
Just as the poacher can turn gamekeeper, we are this year delighted to be sponsoring one of the awards – Business Growth. This category is open to businesses that can demonstrate significant market growth in the preceding eighteen months. This growth must have been achieved in response to a business plan and entrants must be able to provide supporting statistics relating to sales, staff, profits, etc. Finally, the winner must also show they have plans for future growth. The winner will be announced at a special gala event on Thursday 13th October 2022 at The Old Town Hall, Stratford.
So why have we decided to sponsor an award rather than enter?
Put simply, we want to support our local business community. We are a part of this community and so it is important to us that it is celebrated.
Sponsoring this award is just one of many ways in which we are supporting the local community. Our name can now be found on the shirts of the Wapping Youth Football Team and we have recently purchased two summer houses for the Early Start Group to help children in East London. One summerhouse will be installed at their Family Contact Centre in Forest Gate and the other at the Susan Lawrence Nursery in Manor Park.
The second reason we are keen to sponsor the Business Growth category is that we think this exemplifies our business. To grow a company, you must have dedication and a good business model. LNPS is a good example. We have doubled both our turnover and staffing in the last five years – from £650K to £1.3M.
The competition criteria reflect the way we have achieved this growth – a strong focus on our business plan and a willingness to identify and operate in new work areas. This has allowed us to build on our strengths, even in a very difficult trading environment.
Our hope is that by sponsoring this award we can give something back to the business community that has supported us over the last five years. We hope to identify and reward companies that possess the same levels of dedication and professionalism that we feel we’ve been able to show.
This is an exciting new development for us and, I think, it is demonstrative of our growing confidence as a business. I’m looking forward to seeing what the businesses of Newham can show us. So, if you are eligible, make sure you enter by clicking here.
Pictures: LNPS team at Newham Business Awards 2021 (via Newham Chamber of Commerce website)
