OUTSTANDING individuals, businesses and organisations who have survived the recession have been honoured at the Plymouth Bites Back Celebration Awards Day.

City businesses packed the exciting event at the Guildhall, where winners in 10 categories were announced yesterday.

And organisers now want the awards to be run again every year.

Kevin Kelway, regional media co-ordinator for one of the organisers, A4e, which helps jobless people, said: “The city deserves this event and we should look at it as an on-going event next year.”

Council leader Cllr Vivien Pengelly said: “It’s a fantastic event. Plymouth City Council is proud to support it.”

She added: “I hope it will be an annual event where we can get together and celebrate business.”

The awards, each of which is sponsored by a city organisation or business, were organised following The Herald’s successful Bites Back campaign, championing groups, businesses and organisations defying the recession.

The event was organised by the Plymouth Bites Back steering committee, with other city education providers, including the University of Plymouth and City College Plymouth.

It received support from Plymouth City Council and the 2020 Partnership.

Winners received £100 and a trophy provided by city business Plymouth Trophyman. Runners-up received a certificate.

All awards were announced by Bill Martin, editor of The Herald, and were presented to winners and runners-up by Lord Mayor Cllr Ken Foster.

Mr Martin said there had been many strong nominations in all categories.

He said the awards “celebrate all that is good about our city” and gave a flavour of the “diversity and spirit” found in Plymouth.

The breakfast awards ceremony, which also featured musical performances by performing arts students at City College Plymouth and music student Sarinity Powell, was only the opening event in an entire day offering support, guidance and advice for people looking to find jobs.

This included information on how to find funding for training and how to start a business.

Inspirational case studies were placed on presentation panels provided by Jobcentre Plus.

These will then form part of a roadshow which will later tour Plymouth.

Mr Kelway said: “We are really proud to have put such a good event together, and proud to tie it to The Herald’s Bites Back campaign.”

Sharron Robbie, employer liaison officer at City College Plymouth, said Plymouth’s ‘resilience and entrepreneurial spirit’ had helped shield it from the worst of the recession.

Martin Darby and Andy Russell, of computer games firm Remode, which won the Enterprise and Innovation Award, said it would be “fantastic” if the awards became an annual event.

Mervyn Orchard, director of brand consultants Bluestone360, which picked up the Education and Business Award, said it was for his firm’s policy of employing graduates on three-month projects to help charities with their websites. He said he was “shocked and honoured” to win and added: “I believe in working with the education sector to help the creative sector, which will be one of the future sectors for Plymouth.”

Jay Morrish, director of Security Management South West, which won the Creating Futures Employers Award, said his firm was proud to have won an award for helping unemployed people into work.

Alan Beal, of valetting firm 2G Services, who won the Entrepreneurship Award, said: “I’m over the moon.”

Article courtesy of Plymouth Evening Herald

A new Academy formed by one of the South West’s top creative agencies, Bluestone360, is set to attract the best young design and digital talents in the region.  The Academy will offer a talented student or graduate the opportunity to gain valuable work experience from within Bluestone360’s offices in Royal William Yard, Plymouth.  They will be exposed to the creative and digital arena working on live projects and adding an extra layer to their CV.

There is high interest and buzz surrounding this exciting new innovative venture.  Only one place is available, so the Academy is open purely to the best talent.  Students who are interested will be sent a full, authentic creative brief.  They will then be required to submit their initial creative concepts to the agency for consideration.  The best six will be invited to present their concepts to a panel made up of the agency, client, trustees and media including Alexis Bowater, journalist and former Westcountry news presenter.  The winning student will then join the Bluestone360 Academy for an initial three months with the opportunity for a full time contract if they excel.

Crucially, one of the main projects the candidate will work on from conceptual idea to live venture is the national children’s charity, CHICKS (Country Holiday for Inner City Kids) website.  CHICKS provides free respite breaks for disadvantaged children across the UK.  Aiming to give children the chance to be children and create happy memories that they can hold on to when they return to their difficult home life.  This task has a wide scope and will be both challenging and exciting for the candidate.

Gavin Braithwaite -Smith, Blustone360 director commented, “The Bluestone360 Academy will seek to attract and harness the south west’s best young design and digital talents.  Proving that the region can be a creative hotbed and that London alone doesn’t have to be the automatic choice for graduates or those seeking to further their career.  The CHICKS website represents the perfect opportunity to launch the Academy.  A live project, for a national charity, led by one of the region’s most established creative agencies. We are delighted that this Academy will offer one talented young person a fantastic opportunity to advance in this field.”

Alexis Bowater, Academy Panellist added, “It is vital to give people chances at any time of life. For students entering the rapidly changing world of media this is a golden opportunity. The winning candidate will not only have to have innovative ideas, flair and imagination but also to be able to work as a team. CHICKS is a life-affirming organisation which changes lives in a positive and permanent way. Giving young students the chance to take part in a project like this continues that philosophy.  It will bring cutting-edge ideas to the charity’s website enabling them to communicate their important message more effectively to an ever wider audience.”

If you are a student or recent graduate and would like more information on the Bluestone360 Academy, please visit the Academy website at http://www.bluestone360.co.uk/theacademy/ The closing date for entries is 7^th May 2010.