Back in 2021 as we were working on our sustainability report Denise at Wylde Connections, suggested that with all the commitment we had made over the years, that we should look at the Queens award for Enterprise. My reaction was as such a small company we would not be considered. How wrong can you be?
I had forgotten about the talk with Denise until July 2022 when we were invited by Peter Else, a deputy Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire to a presentation by the Derbyshire Queen’s Award for Enterprise group. This group is dedicated to helping promote Derbyshire Business and encouraging them to shout about their success. We were told in no uncertain terms that we should look at applying. So we did.
It was no easy task, but the hard work involved in the process helped understand what we had achieved and led to a new strategic five year plan. We were supported along the way by the team at Wylde Connections and on 5th September our final submission was made. This was just 3 days before the sad death of HM Queen Elizabeth II. But the process of judging continued with intense due diligence of both TDP’s financial and governance as well as further questions about our sustainability journey including our carbon footprint reporting.
We were informed in January that we had been shortlisted, which was an achievement in itself. Then on 23rd February the awards were to be renamed The Kings Award for Enterprise.
Being told toward the end of March that we had been honoured with a Kings Award was amazing, but I had to keep it myself as the Awards were not being announced publicly until today, 21st April, which would have been the Queen’s Birthday.
We are one of 148 organisations nationally to be recognised with a King’s Award for Enterprise. Now in its 57th year, it represents the most prestigious business award in the country and we are one of only 15 winners of the Sustainable Development category.
The King’s Office said: “TDP has been awarded for a comprehensive and well-executed plan of sustainable initiatives with positive impacts, and for demonstrating inspirational leadership spreading the word about sustainability amongst its peers and through the local business community.”
We have come a long way in putting sustainable production at the heart of our strategy, using recycled plastic to reduce waste, protect precious ecosystems and keep resources in the value chain. It is truly humbling to have that hard work recognised through such an esteemed award especially as King Charles III has been a pioneer and champion of environmental issues over the past 60 years, long before we all recognised the significance of what we were doing to our planet.
