THE CREST22 Awards are seeing more entries continue to arrive – from global enterprises, to SMEs and one-man operations – following the news of its extended deadline.

The deadline for Surrey’s only green business awards, extended to this Friday 8 April, has encouraged even more entries from organisations in the country's largest economy outside of London to stand up in a roll call that already includes a local authority initiative, global operators in energy, water solutions and technology as well as SMEs and artisans.

Winner of both the Going Circular and Resilience in Crisis Awards at CREST21 was Silent Pool Distillers.

“We felt the awards represented factors we find important – the local community and sustainability being the most prominent,” said Sophie Best, general manager of the internationally renowned gin brand.

“There’s not many awards that have such a focus on sustainability, so we were keen to enter so we could help bring the importance of sustainability to the forefront of people’s minds and show that lots of small changes to how we work can make a big difference.”

CREST22 Business Awards co-director, Carol Miller, said: “The awards are a fantastic way to get recognition for your business sustainability achievements and across the board the entrants provide an amazing showcase of the way businesses are taking the lead in the climate change crisis.”

The awards are open to businesses of all sizes and categories and are free to enter thanks to the support and sponsorship of a powerhouse of key organisations within the area.

Initially launched by the News & Mail in association with the University of Surrey’s Centre for the Environment and Sustainability, the awards’ headline sponsor, Surrey County Council, has been a keen driver and features the awards prominently in its Greener Future programme.

Other award sponsors include Surrey Chambers of Commerce, BNI Surrey, Holdsway, Mayer Brown Ltd and the News & Mail. Surrey Business Magazine is giving its support as media sponsor with the introduction of Associate Sponsorship for 2022, which now includes longstanding supporters the WWF UK and Circle Wealth Partners.

“These awards could not happen without the support we receive from local organisations and businesses, as sponsors and supporters,” said Carol. “They are key to helping CREST Business Awards increase motivation to act on sustainability.”

Returning sponsor Mayer Brown Ltd has opted to back the Going Circular Award category for the second year.

“We have returned as a sponsor because of the positive experience of being involved previously,” said Andrea Hughes, the company’s technical director. “We also wish to be involved in pushing the sustainability agenda and to do this within our community and, finally, due to the calibre and credibility of the other organisations involved.”

Efficiency Champion sponsor Nick Diprose, founding partner of Holdsway, agrees: “Holdsway is sponsoring Crest Business Awards for the second year running to raise the profile of a positive environmental strategy.

“Business and organisational efficiency demand a rigorous focus on reducing waste, whether in materials, energy, human effort, investment, or time,” he said. “We salute all organisations that are working hard to be more efficient.”

Competing against major corporates, last year’s winner of the Sustainability Hero Award was Mel Hemmings who started her business Bare + Fair, a zero-waste retail business, in her kitchen.

“I wanted to support this great initiative celebrating the sustainability achievements of local businesses, and knew that winning one of the awards would be a great boost for me and the staff team after a difficult year, as well as a great recognition of all the hard work we had done,” she said.

Mel has still to take up her prize, which is a place on one of the University of Surrey’s CES week-long masters level modules.

She said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity and I have no doubt it will be of help in running our business more sustainably.”

The CES is well-known for the sustainability advice and support it gives to international corporates, is generously again offering this as a prize to the CREST22 Sustainability Hero alongside the chance for the award category winners to receive a complimentary sustainability consultation session with one of the Centre’s leading academic experts.

* To enter CREST22 Business Awards, visit www.crestawardssurrey.co.uk/crest22-applications