Four local companies are in the running to be named the best rural businesses in the UK after being shortlisted for a regional Rural Business Award.
Feather & Twigs from Croston, Better2Know from Whittington, Preston’s Field Nurse and Brickhouse Farm Cottages from Hambleton have been shortlisted in at the 2019/2020 Rural Business Awards, held in partnership with Amazon.
The local companies will battle it out against fellow rural businesses, entrepreneurs and enterprises from across the region for a place at the national final. The regional final will be held at Newcastle University on 11 October, with the National Final taking place early next year.
Feather & Twigs makes organic, sustainable home interior products and has been shortlisted in the Best Rural Startup category. Shortlisted in the Best Rural Retail Business Category, Better2Know is the world’s largest private provider of sexual health testing services and is based in the village of Whittington. It is the largest employer in the village, with most staff living locally in Kirby Lonsdale or nearby villages.
The Field Nurse Trust was set up in 2016 by a collective of local individuals with a common purpose of reducing the identified risks of physical and mental health of those living in rural areas and has been shortlisted in the Best Rural Social Enterprise, Charity or Community Project category.
Hambleton’s Brickhouse Farm Cottages has been shortlisted in the Best Rural Tourism Business category. The company provides accessible holiday accommodation in purpose-built, self-catering retreats, offering luxury for all abilities and provides additional aids to suit individual needs. The Cottages, varying in size sleeping 2-12 people, surround a fully-stocked fishing lake with diverse wildlife. Accessible hot-tubs, each with track hoists to ease access for visitors with mobility issues, offer added luxury and the chance for families and groups to relax.
The Rural Business Awards 2019/2020, in partnership with Amazon, will mark the Awards’ fifth year of celebrating the success of businesses across the UK’s rural economy – a segment which employs in excess of 3.4 million people in over 750,000 businesses in England alone. The Awards are organised by rural business for rural business with the aim of celebrating the achievements of rural businesses and developing a strong network for rural business owners.
Speaking after being shortlisted for an award, Christine Parkinson from The Field Nurse Trust said:
“We’re so excited to be shortlisted for a Rural Business Award. To know that the work being done by organisations like ours and other rural businesses is being recognised by Amazon gives us a great boost and we’re looking forward to attending the Regional Finals of the Rural Business Awards later in the year.”
“Amazon has proudly supported the Rural Business Awards since 2016 and each year, the quality of the entries gets better and better,” said Doug Gurr, UK Country Manager, Amazon. “I’d like to congratulate Feather & Twigs, Better2Know, Field Nurse and Brickhouse Farm Cottages and wish them and their regional peers the best of luck on the Awards night.”
Director and Co-Founder of The Rural Business Awards, Anna Price, added: “The 2019/2020 Awards have seen record numbers of entries and it’s encouraging to see so many rural businesses express a desire to celebrate their successes on a regional and national scale. We are passionate about creating a nurturing environment where rural businesses can develop, and this starts by showcasing the great work they do. On behalf of everyone at the Rural Business Awards, we want to say well done to all the shortlisted businesses and wish them luck ahead of the regional finals.”
