Raise a toast to success

The popular presenter of BBC Two’s Working Lunch was guest speaker at the awards, which celebrated the very best of business from Basingstoke and north Hampshire.

Declan gave an entertaining talk about his work as a television presenter and spoke of the need to celebrate the achievements of local business, particularly in the current tough economic climate.

Declan said: “It’s always great to see hard- working companies succeed in what they do and it couldn’t be a more important time to celebrate those companies’ achievements.

“We need companies to be right at the top of their game as we pull out of this recession.”

Impressed with the range in size and diversity of businesses at the gala dinner, Declan said: “What a great group of firms and companies we have seen here tonight and from such a range of sectors, but then that’s what marks out the economy here locally.”

Noting that winners included small busi- nesses as well as major employers, Declan said: “We have really got to rely on these micro businesses to get us out of the recession, because they are the ones that will respond fastest to the market and take advantage of sudden opportunities.”

Compering the evening, which saw 10 awards presented by sponsors, was Gazette News- papers’ editor Mark Jones and Paul Kinvig, chief executive of Hampshire Economic Partnership.

Before the award winners were announced last Tuesday, guests were treated to an energetic surprise performance by Basingstoke’s 3RUN, who gave the audience at The Anvil a taste of their free running skills.

The team, which has won critical acclaim around the world, and have performed in the next Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, as well as a number of TV productions, such as Casualty and advertise- ments for the likes of Barclays, Nestle, Puma and Shell, were presented with a Basingstoke Ambassador award by Mike Loftus, chairman of Destination Basingstoke, for representing the town globally.

Phil Wilding, managing director of Hamp- shire builder Wilding Butler – one of the main backers of INSPIRE09 and sponsor of the Business of the Year Award – and chairman of WSX, which runs Business Link in Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight, and which also supported INSPIRE09, was delighted with how the whole event went.

Phil, chairman of the organising steering committee, said: “It was just what I envisaged when we were putting these awards together.

“We had a fantastic number of people – it was the biggest ever awards since they restarted in 2007, with 310 people attending the gala dinner, and they had a really enjoyable time, cele- brating the success of businesses in Basing- stoke and north Hampshire.”

Praising the work of the organising partners, Phil said: “Just like the winners of the awards, we are going to be aiming to be bigger and better next year.”

The popular presenter of BBC Two’s Working Lunch was guest speaker at the awards, which celebrated the very best of business from Basingstoke and north Hampshire.

Declan gave an entertaining talk about his work as a television presenter and spoke of the need to celebrate the achievements of local business, particularly in the current tough economic climate.

Declan said: “It’s always great to see hard- working companies succeed in what they do and it couldn’t be a more important time to celebrate those companies’ achievements.

“We need companies to be right at the top of their game as we pull out of this recession.”

Impressed with the range in size and diversity of businesses at the gala dinner, Declan said: “What a great group of firms and companies we have seen here tonight and from such a range of sectors, but then that’s what marks out the economy here locally.”

Noting that winners included small busi- nesses as well as major employers, Declan said: “We have really got to rely on these micro businesses to get us out of the recession, because they are the ones that will respond fastest to the market and take advantage of sudden opportunities.”

Compering the evening, which saw 10 awards presented by sponsors, was Gazette News- papers’ editor Mark Jones and Paul Kinvig, chief executive of Hampshire Economic Partnership.

Before the award winners were announced last Tuesday, guests were treated to an energetic surprise performance by Basingstoke’s 3RUN, who gave the audience at The Anvil a taste of their free running skills.

The team, which has won critical acclaim around the world, and have performed in the next Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, as well as a number of TV productions, such as Casualty and advertise- ments for the likes of Barclays, Nestle, Puma and Shell, were presented with a Basingstoke Ambassador award by Mike Loftus, chairman of Destination Basingstoke, for representing the town globally.

Phil Wilding, managing director of Hamp- shire builder Wilding Butler – one of the main backers of INSPIRE09 and sponsor of the Business of the Year Award – and chairman of WSX, which runs Business Link in Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight, and which also supported INSPIRE09, was delighted with how the whole event went.

Phil, chairman of the organising steering committee, said: “It was just what I envisaged when we were putting these awards together.

“We had a fantastic number of people – it was the biggest ever awards since they restarted in 2007, with 310 people attending the gala dinner, and they had a really enjoyable time, cele- brating the success of businesses in Basing- stoke and north Hampshire.”

Praising the work of the organising partners, Phil said: “Just like the winners of the awards, we are going to be aiming to be bigger and better next year.”