Heart of the South West Better Business for All wins national award
The Heart of the South West Better Business for All partnership (Hot SW BBFA) has won the Better Business for All award at the Office for Product Safety & Standards (OPSS) Regulatory Excellence Awards ceremony.
The national award celebrates outstanding regulatory practice that achieves positive outcomes in supporting businesses and protecting consumers. The event attracted entries from dozens of local authorities from around the UK.
The OPSS said the partnership ‘delivered outstanding regulatory support at a local level’.
They continued: ‘Heart of the South West Better Business for All brought partners together from local authority economic development, trading standards and environmental health teams and business representatives.
‘They produced and delivered guides and webinars for the business community and acted as a one stop shop for all things EU-Transition.’
In their award entry, HotSW BBFA explained how, with Covid engulfing the country and hitting businesses hard, they worked to support businesses through the unknown challenges and opportunities of the EU Transition.
HotSW BBFA brought partners together from local authority economic development, trading standards and environmental health teams as well as business representatives from:
- Heart of the South West Growth Hub.
- Devon and Plymouth Chamber of Commerce.
- Somerset Chambers of Commerce.
- Federation of Small Businesses.
- Visit Devon.
- South West Institute of Directors.
- South west Tourism Alliance.
Steve Cox, of Torbay Council, who chairs the HotSW BBFA partnership, said: “To win one of the OPSS awards demonstrates what we have achieved working together as 21 Regulatory Authorities including the Fire Service, along with numerous business organisations.
“It has been a difficult 12 months for all, but also one that has helped demonstrate that Regulatory Services are a key partner of the of the business community, supporting it during the pandemic and during the various recovery stages. We will look to maintain this success and build on it.”
As well as winning this award, HotSW BBFA was also a finalist in the Coronavirus category at the awards. Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay Trading Standards was a finalist in the Better Business For All, Product Safety and Primary Authority categories.
Mark Peacock, Business Support & Innovation Manager for Trading Standards said: “To reach the finals and be recognised nationally for our Primary Authority partnership work is a great achievement. A huge well done to Andrew Brownsword Hotels who made it possible.”
