Awards Blog

CCD Architects shortlisted for BWCI Best Medium Business

A typical day in the life of CCD….

Andrew, managing director, has rushed off to a meeting with some prospective clients.  No doubt he’ll WOW them with his creative brilliance.  Meanwhile Colin, our 75 year old draughtsman, is painting a beautiful water colour picture from one of Andrew’s scribbled designs – this process normally requires substantial reminiscing about the good old days…!

John, technical director, is working out how one of Andrew’s designs could possibly be built.  Stuart, our conservation surveyor, is out on his Vespa dashing between one historic building and another, resembling Sherlock Holmes as he investigates causes of damp.

Oliver and Esther, project architects, are vigorously debating various matters from building contracts to the best coffee.  Matt, senior technologist, is up at Les Bourg Hospice at a site meeting (that means Antoinette, junior technologist, who’s producing a 3D computer model, can listen to Radio 1 without Matt moaning!).  Viki, our model-making guru, is constructing a scaled down version of one of Andrew’s cliff top designs, completely absorbed in sticking on tiny people.

Trudy, our finance manager, is looking after the financial wellbeing of the company.  In reception Wendy, Andrew’s PA, is typing whilst acting as a living Wikipedia resource for CCD.  Gilly, John’s PA, is frowning because she’s trying to decipher John’s writing.

Lastly Ben, senior technologist, and Rob, apprentice technologist, are out surveying some old ruinous dwelling.  Both are happy – Rob’s wearing jeans to work and Ben can send him into the dirty corners!

 That’s a pretty typical day at CCD.  Lots of different characters and skills making up a great business!

Ali, Roger and Green Lions on shortlist for Ambassador

THREE names have emerged as possible winners of the 2011 Ambassador of the Year award.

The accolade, presented to an individual – or group – who has gone the extra mile to promote Guernsey’s name beyond the Bailiwick’s shores, attracted a wide range of nominees,

This year’s three shortlisted nominations, in no particular order, are world bowls star Alison Merrien, new community football club Guernsey FC and Channel swimmer Roger Allsopp.

Sponsored by the Guernsey Press’s parent company, the Guiton Group, the winner will be announced at the prestigious Awards for Achievement ceremony on Thursday 9 February at Beau Sejour.

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Voting open for your Specsavers Unsung Hero

The shortlist of the Specsavers Unsung Hero Award has been announced and the public are being asked to vote for their winner.  The nominees are Derek Le Boutillier, Kim Marquis, Ian Gaudion, Anne Smith, Mavis Lemon and Lewis Laine.

Twenty islanders were nominated for the award in recognition of the work they do in the island for the benefit of others.  A panel of judges, which included the Bailiff Sir Geoffrey Rowland, Dame Mary Perkins of sponsors Specsavers and chairperson of the Association of Guernsey Charities Kate Raleigh, met to discuss the nominations and the shortlist was decided upon after much deliberation.

‘It is always a difficult task to decide on a shortlist as all of the nominees do a great deal for the island community and are all worthy of an award,’ said Dame Mary. ‘We were amazed again by the commitment of these islanders to enhancing local life, whether it be through charitable work or with youngsters and always quietly behind the scenes, never seeking publicity.  Now it is time for the public to select the person they consider deserves the unsung hero title.’

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Islands Insurance shortlised for Healthspan Best Large Business

What can we say!!  2011 has been a terrific year for Islands Insurance.  Not only have we gone through a huge re-development of our offices at Lancaster Court, numerous major business targets have been achieved and we have also been short listed for the Best Large Business in this year’s Guernsey Achievements Awards!!!  This is the icing on the cake for us.

We now find ourselves up against the great and the good, but whatever the outcome for all of the companies it is a fantastic achievement to get as far as the short list. All of us at Islands are really looking forward to the evening and we wish the other companies all the very best and look forward to meeting everyone at the event.

We have always considered the Achievement Awards as Guernsey’s most prestigious event and we are absolutely delighted that this year we will have our name on the big screen.  It was definitely worthwhile spending the many hours going over and over our presentation and asking ourselves many questions about our company.  The main thing was to make sure that we answered exactly what the question asked.  Now that the first big challenge is behind us; we now need to prepare ourselves for the main interview in February, very daunting indeed, a limited time to tell our story.

Director, Peter Rowe, known for his under-statement said “Hmmm 2011 has been quite a good year”.

BDO short-listed for Healthspan Best Large Business 2011

Richard Searle, Managing Director, BDO Limited

Our first Awards blog, hmmm, what to write? This should be easy but, of course, accountants don’t “do blogs”!  Accountants are supposed to be boring and certainly aren’t supposed to get excited, are they? Good job we’re not just a boring firm of accountants then isn’t it?  Contrary to Monty Python’s preaching, accountants can get excited so when we learned that we have been shortlisted for the Best Large Business award, we had just the excuse we needed. I would love to match Rob Jones’ recounting his O-level experiences but that would require creative imagery and, as we know, accountants don’t “do creative”, do they?

Joking aside, everyone here at BDO is delighted that our efforts have been recognised by the shortlisting – efforts not only in the submission but also in our on-going efforts to ensure that we continue to be first choice for our staff and clients. Our submission was a genuine team effort involving staff across all teams and from all levels, from first-year trainees to directors. For me personally, I loved hearing the passion with which our team brainstormed our submission. This made the job of drafting the wording much easier with so much good material. However, it also made it difficult to cut down the submission to the required number of words – hyphens and abbreviations work wonders!

It was all worth it.  Of course the race is not over and we still have a long way to go with many excellent firms being shortlisted in all categories. We are proud and delighted to be associated with all of the businesses that have been shortlisted and look forward to the challenge ahead.

Congratulations to all our fellow nominees – let the excitement and creativity commence!  Now, where did I leave my calculator…….?

Jones Watts short-listed for NatWest Best Small Business Award 2011

Joanna Watts, Managing Director, Jones Watts

Wow!!!  We are just so excited to be recognised in a competition which celebrates the commercial success of Guernsey.  After spending countless hours scrutinising our business model and many drafts and redrafts, the team rose to the challenge and we finally got our submission down to the obligatory number of words and submitted our application in the vain hope that, if nothing else, it had proved a useful exercise in helping us become a better, more rounded company.

But now, having been told we have made it to the final, with a shortlist including some of the Island’s best, the task before us has only just hit home.  With such a broad representation of businesses from such diverse sectors, we can’t begin to think what a difficult job the judges will have selecting the final candidates.  With presentations, film clips and press interviews all in the making, there is certainly a tall order ahead!

But, in spite of the challenge and the fear and trepidation of being involved in such a high profile award, we are just delighted to have been acknowledged as worthy enough to get this far. 

And I can tell you one thing for sure – with such a glamorous evening to come – us girls in the office certainly have a good excuse for buying a new dress!!