Enterprise announces regional Community Hero Award winners
The regional winners were chosen by a panel of judges, including 2012 national winner Jim Woolley from The Hare Inn in Linslade, Bedfordshire, chief executive of Pub is the Hub John Longden, BII client development director John Melia, founder of Ellery Consulting John Ellery and Enterprise commercial director Ed Cottrell.
It is the second year the awards have been running.
'Passion and commitment'
The judges said all of the regional winners demonstrated an exceptional level of passion and commitment to their communities and the panel was impressed by the variety of initiatives that Enterprise licensees have been involved in, from delivering meals on wheels to providing on the job training for young adults to sheep shearing for charity.
The 18 regional winners are:
- Cumbria & Lancashire: The Arion – Southport
- North East: The Foresters Arms – Coatham Mundeville
- Leeds & Bradford: The Lord Nelson – Luddenden
- Hull & Yorkshire: The Beggar & Gentleman – Hoyland
- Sheffield & Grimsby – The Talbot – Warsop
- Manchester & North Wales: Marple Tavern – Marple
- West Midlands: The Plough Inn – Wellington
- East Midlands: Chequers – Potters Bar
- Bristol & South Wales: The Swan – Thornbury
- South Midlands: The Bell Inn – Stratford Upon Avon
- Thames Valley: Chequers – Aston Tirrold
- East Anglia: The Quebec Tavern – Norwich
- South West: The Britannia Inn & Restaurant – Budleigh Salterton
- South Coast: The Rose In June – Portsmouth
- Sussex & Surrey: The Rock Inn – Brighton
- Outer London: The Swan – West Wickham
- Inner London: The Three Crowns – Bushey Heath
- South East: Waggon at Hale – Chatham
Cottrell said: "The increased number of applications this year showed an even broader variety of activities that our publicans have been doing on behalf of their communities. It shows that 'community hero' has many interpretations, but all of them relevant and certainly impressive.
"Our task as judges was very difficult, but where we did agree was in the extraordinary levels of dedication and commitment demonstrated by every publican that entered."
National winner
The national winner will be crowned at an awards ceremony on Wednesday 23 October and awarded a further £5,000 to invest in the community initiatives of their choice.
