The culmination of the Family Business of the Year Awards 2023 saw Future Toolbox CIC and White Bicycle take home the Ones to Watch Family Business of the Year award at a gala awards evening held at The Royal College of Physicians in Regent’s Park in London.
Organised by Family Business United, these prestigious awards are now a firm fixture in the family business calendar and celebrate the very best of British family firms from all corners of the UK. Awards are given by region, sector and nationally in recognition of qualities such as entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainability, community engagement and ultimately one family business is crowned the Supreme Champions.
As Paul Andrews, Founder and CEO of Family Business United explains, “As an organisation we champion and celebrate family-owned businesses across the UK, recognising the contribution they make in terms of employment, income generation and wealth creation as well as the impact they have on the communities in which they operate.”
“Since 2012 these awards have grown to become something really special, recognising family firms from all sectors, young and multi-generational family firms alike, large and small but all sharing the same underlying values, pride and passion for what they do and a strong desire to do business the right way. Each of the winners is a great business with a strong narrative and is a great ambassador for the broader family business community too.”
“Each year we identify a family business that we think is set to take the world by storm. This year we have two worthy winners of the One to Watch award.”
“Our first winner is a small business that was founded in 2019 that designs and builds online learning for clients packed with interactive activities, quizzes and much more and just last year created online disability inclusion training in multiple languages for the United Nations World Food Programme. A business that is innovative and making a big impression.”
“Our second winner is a social enterprise founded by a husband and wife team with a purpose to tackle social exclusion in young people and people affected by traumatic injury and injury in their families. Born from a number of personal challenges they have developed something that is truly remarkable, securing funding to develop further resources to build on their story to help others. It is inspirational and life changing and allowing them to turn their adversities into something tangible and authentic.”
“Both are deserving and incredible in all that they do,” concludes Paul.
As James Shore, Head of Family Business at SME Capital who presented the Ones To Watch Family Business of the Year award confirms: “Both of the winners have a fantastic story to tell that stood them out as businesses to watch going forward as they are now seeking to grow and develop an even bigger impact through the work they do. It is great to see new businesses with a positive future ahead of them and they are both businesses that the judges recognise for their potential and I look forward to watching as the next chapter in their journey unfolds.”
Leah Holroyd, one of the two directors of White Bicycle alongside her brother Finn, collected the award and added, “As a brother and sister team, we are absolutely delighted to have been recognised in the Family Business of the Year Awards. Our mission is to help organisations to create engaging, effective and accessible education and training, and it’s so great to have the work that we do celebrated in this way.”
As Paul concludes, “Family businesses are the engine room of the UK economy and these awards celebrate their contribution. It was great to bring the family business community back together in person to recognise the incredible family firms that operate throughout the UK and to crown some fantastic winners.”
“Congratulations to Future Toolbox CIC and White Bicycle on winning this award. It is fantastic recognition of what they do as a business and it was a pleasure to present them with the award during a fantastic evening that once more put the family business sector on the map.”
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