Sponsor viewpoint: Baxendale UK Employee Ownership Awards
Ten years ago, our company created the Philip Baxendale Awards to give a growing community of Employee Owned (EO) businesses a chance each year to take stock, inspire one another and celebrate their successes. Back then, the first Awards ceremony was a modest and intimate affair – a few dozen employee owners in a hotel function room raising a glass to achievements across a small but passionate group of companies doing things differently.
Ten years on, that (much bigger) hotel function room is expecting an audience of over 600 people from across the country – a broad mix of employee owners in private businesses, public service mutuals, social enterprises, and those thinking of transitioning to any of the above. That tremendous growth in attendees is matched only by the increase in recognition the Awards have enjoyed over the last ten years
Now named the UK Employee Ownership Awards and managed by our partner the Employee Ownership Association, we at Baxendale are thrilled to continue our involvement as sponsors of the Awards for the second year running. We are also delighted that the legacy of our founder Philip Baxendale continues to be recognised in perpetuity every year through the Philip Baxendale Fellowship Award.
An important figure amongst our own employee owners, Philip’s decision to transfer his family business into employee ownership in 1983 provides a relevant blueprint for Baxendale today, as we support organisations transitioning into employee ownership, and provide advice and investment to help organisations achieve long-term sustainability and generate positive impact for the future.
As we gear up for presentation of the 2016 UK Employee Ownership Awards we look forward to the passion, the heartfelt stories, and that very distinct EO feeling of everyone in the room supporting each other to achieve great things.
We’d like to wish the best of luck to all UK Employee Ownership Awards nominees, and look forward to celebrating with you all on 21st November at the EOA Conference Gala Dinner and UK Employee Ownership Awards.
The Baxendale team