6 - 2023 | Chalmers News PR

Inspirational achievers celebrate business success

Posted on June 11, 2023 by admin

INSPIRATIONAL achievers from south Warwickshire were among those celebrated at the second Business Success Recognition Awards, held in Birmingham at the weekend.

Finalists selected from hundreds of nominations assembled at The Eastside Rooms on Saturday (June 3rd) for the return of the glittering awards ceremony, hosted by award-winning MC Dave Sharpe.

Thirteen category winners from across the UK were announced, including Business Start-up, Rising Star, Business Growth, Franchisee of the Year and Team of the Year. Local winners were Kelly Isles and The Enchanted Tea Room in Leamington (Against All Odds Award); Coversure, Leamington (Customer Service of the Year) and The Trampoline Academy, which has clubs in Warwick (Chase Meadow) and Nuneaton (Business Start-up of the Year).

Kelly Isles said: “I’m overjoyed to win against the odds despite everything life threw at me the last couple years at Enchanted. We’re here thriving with a business I fought so hard to save through Covid. I lost so much to that virus my Dad and friends – it was not taking my business as well!

“I’ve always had the support of my amazing family, husband and business partner, kids and my parents as well as the most amazing team at Enchanted Tea Room. This award is for us all because we didn’t just survive, we thrived. This means so much to us to win this.”

Natalie Yorke-Goldney of The Trampoline Academy receives her award from Danielle Hobson. — Natalie Yorke-Goldney of The Trampoline Academy receives her award from Danielle Hobson

Natalie Yorke-Goldney, of The Trampoline Academy, said: “I was completely shocked and flattered to win the award. In retrospect, it’s recognition for all the effort and love I’ve put into my trampoline club and everything we have achieved in two short years. I don’t do what I do to simply make money, it’s for the love of the sport.

Natalie, who lives in Coventry, added: “I started with nothing, and as a single mum, I held back for years as I did not believe in myself and it all seemed impossible. During COVID I took a leap of faith, and I’ve never looked back. I had to knock on a lot of doors – but if you keep knocking eventually they start opening, so start knocking!”

Coversure Director Amrit Kaylan said: “To win it was a real honour, especially having been up against some incredible businesses in the category. The award is a testament to the great work that the team here at Coversure Leamington Spa do in helping our customers old and new.”

“To be the headline sponsor of the Business Success Network Awards 2023 was a real honour for us. We put helping businesses, small and large, as the centre of our focus and the stories of success and resilience from the businesses, entrepreneurs and charities in attendance were incredibly inspiring. The event itself was excellent, the food, drink and entertainment were top class and I’m sure all of the winners, nominees and attendees had a night to remember.”

Coversure won Customer Service of the Year presented by Jamie Calder of Mr Cs Cleaning Services

The main award of the night, Business of the Year, was awarded to Mess Around Ltd. of Suffolk which has 11 franchises across the UK.

Judges were William Seymour, Earl of Yarmouth, co-owner of multi-international award-winning St Maur elderflower liqueur, handcrafted in Alcester; Ian Dickson, an international motivational speaker and award-winning business executive coach and mentor; and Sam Bearfoot, the CEO Creativity Mentor to some of the most successful people in the online space,.

The evening was organised by Stacey Calder, from Leamington, the founder, leader and editor of the Business Success Network and Magazine.

Stacey said: “What an amazing night of support, fun and recognition. A huge congratulations to not just the winners, but to all the finalists in the room. It takes courage to put yourself out there and to make the finals from over 350 nominations is an incredible achievement.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the incredible team I have around me, national awards like this don’t just happen and I’m proud to use small businesses within the network to form such a great events team.

“I created these awards because every business owner has a story to share and awards are a great opportunity for business owners to create more visibility as well as gain the recognition they deserve. When you are self-employed it can be a lonely place working on your own and I’m a firm believer in finding your cheerleaders. The Business Success Recognition Awards helps you find them in abundance.”

Planning is already under way for next year’s awards for which nominations open on January 1^st.

Nicky Ross collects the Against All Odds Award on behalf of Kelly Isles of Enchanted Tea Room presented by Fiona Moon.

All the winners:

Business of the Year (Sponsored by I Am The Queen Bee)

Rachelle Hutt, Mess Around Ltd, Suffolk

Business Start-up of the Year (Sponsored by Danielle Hobson Coaching)

Natalie Yorke-Goldney, The Trampoline Academy, Nuneaton and Warwick

Customer Service of the Year (sponsored by Mr C’s Cleaning Services)

Coversure, Leamington Spa

Product of the Year (Sponsored by Bright Cat Solutions)

Muscle Mechanics, Liscombe

Rising Star – Aged 21 and Under (Sponsored by Mess Around Ltd)

Pip, Rhaph and Oskar Haywood, Babacorn Bricks

Business Growth (Sponsored by A-Counting Genie)

Rob Spence, Paragon Sales Solutions, Countesthorpe, Leicestershire

Franchisee of the Year (Sponsored by The Awards Training Company)

Rachel Peebles, Esterellas Brilliantes, Glasgow

Awards organisers Stacey and Jamie Calder with MC Dave Sharpe.

Business Leader/Manager of the Year (Sponsored by The Activity Connector)

Anna Neville, Kidslingo Ltd, Solihull

Against All Odds Award (Sponsored by Fiona Moon Advisory Ltd)

Kelly Isles, Enchanted Tea Room, Leamington Spa

Networker of the Year (Sponsored by 1Networking)

Tracey McAtamney, Ladies First Professional Development, Balsall Common

Community of the Year (Sponsored by PonyPonyPony)

Move For Wellness 21 Ltd. Based in Hertfordshire

Team of the Year (Sponsored by BJK Entertainment)

So. Social Media, Monmouth, Wales

Expert of the Year (Sponsored by Forensic Minds)

Tony Edwards, BITSmart Technology Ltd, Winchester

Former West End star enjoys new spotlight as thriving entrepreneur

Posted on June 8, 2023August 17, 2023 by admin

A Stratford businesswoman who stepped away from her dream career in the West End has been named a finalist in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards.

After a decade in the spotlight, the talented leading lady brought down the curtain on her showbiz lifestyle in pursuit of a new role – that of an entrepreneur.

Today – from her HQ in Stratford Upon Avon, The PS Events Group delivers world-class party and events production and creation management for clients across the globe, including last year’s Qatar World Cup and eight years of working with Silverstone Grand Prix, next month, to name a few!

Later on this year she will learn whether she’s been named Creative Entrepreneur of the Year at a glittering awards ceremony in London.

The PS Events Group is a business that’s evolved from the footlights. Driven by an all-consuming creative passion and armed with a little black book the envy of the rich and famous, she set about rewriting the second Act of her career.

From a young age, performing was always in Lucy’s sights.

She said: “From a typical three-year-old going to dance classes, I then became completely obsessed with the world of theatre. I saw my first professional show with Liz Robertson as leading lady in My Fair Lady at the age of six and, 13 years later, one of my very first jobs was singing with her in a Sondheim celebration concert. It was magical moment,” she recalls.

“My parents were massively into theatre, my grandfather used to lead the Salvation Army Band and so it was a natural path for me to follow. I loved the idea that I could make money doing my passion.”

Her first big break came aged 19, performing for Stephen Sondheim’s birthday at The Royal Albert Hall, while still at university in Leeds, and she went on to play lead roles in touring, West End and Broadway shows, including Sally Bowles in Cabaret, Carmen Diaz in Fame, leading lady in Godspell and Connie Burrelli in The Rat Pack.

“I didn’t fall out of love with theatre. I fell out of love with doing the same thing day in, day out. I felt I had a bigger passion for creating. I also realised I really understood the psyche of experiences,” she confesses.

“I have always been obsessed with sensory experiences and created an event out of anything, right from being a little girl creating dinner parties for my parents when they came home from work. I enjoy making people feel special.”

Lucy Nicholls, PS Events Group, Stratford — Lucy with Mo Farah at the World Cup last year

Since establishing The PS Events Group in 2010, Lucy’s rise to entrepreneurial success has been meteoric and she boasts an enviable client list, with top names from the worlds of music, sport and TV.

“I eventually started working for another corporate events company and realised that what they were doing we could do better, so I went in and basically trouble shot all of the shows they were putting out for corporate events and when that company eventually folded, I picked up all of their clients.

“But there was a particular well-known celebrity who took a punt on me when I created his mother’s birthday party at the Savoy Hotel and it built from there.”

Not even a global pandemic could get in the way of Lucy’s ambitions and, thanks to her innovation, The PS Events Group not only survived, but thrived, while taking the concept of virtual experiences to innovative new levels.

Lucy Nicholls, Stratford, PS Events Group

The PS Events Group also has two sister companies – The Prop Store and Performance Specialists, one-stop shops for decor, props, theming and celebrity contacts. Lucy is now also a sought-after consultant to other event companies and event departments within corporate settings.

But there have been sacrifices for the 43-year-old mum of two, not least the struggle to attain that elusive work-life balance.

“I literally work all the time,” she confesses. “I’m getting more of a balance because I’m expanding the team again but I struggle with guilt. I’m not maintaining a work-life balance, but I am working towards it.”

So, other than hard work, what is the secret to Lucy’s business success?

“We look at the journey of the guests from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave. I think of it a little bit like a soundtrack for the event. Imagine a film without any music. Watch it and then watch it again with music and see how you’ve been manipulated in your journey.

“We are obsessively passionate about brand, individual experience, the guests’ event journey and executing our events at the highest elite quality.”

Lucy Nicholls, Stratford, PS Events Group — Lucy with ‘Dragon’ Stephen Bartlett

Inspired by her own pursuit of a new dream, Lucy now finds herself measuring her own success by creating that dream for others – in the form of experiences.

“I used to have imposter syndrome and I think to a certain degree I still do and that’s OK because I think the day you get complacent is the day your work isn’t the best it can possibly be.”

She added: “I am stupidly well connected because of my theatre days. I literally know everybody and if I don’t know them, I know how to get to them. That includes the best suppliers, the celebrities, artists and designers in the industry.

“When people come to me they have immediate access to all of this. I have created a business partially inspired by creating work for my incredible industry friends and fellow artists in creative experiences around the world.”

Visit here for more information about The PS Events Group.

Review: Tony Blair The Rock Opera

Posted on June 8, 2023June 8, 2023 by admin

While politics leaves us increasingly hysterical these days, when it comes to theatrical comedy inspiration, a former Labour PM is not the most obvious material.

Yet, as it turns out, Tony Blair The Rock Opera, is one of the laugh-out-loud funniest productions I have seen (and I’ve seen a LOT!)

This reckless reappraisal of the life of the humorously dubbed ‘pop Prime Minister’ takes us on a whirlwind journey from peace-loving, shaggy-haired former Ugly Rumours front man to warmongering multi-millionnaire in just a couple of decades.

Throw in a stellar caricature cast of larger-than-life characters – Cherie Blair, Princess Diana, John Prescott, Peter Mandelson, Alastair Campbell, Osama bin Laden, George W Bush, Saddam Hussein and Gordon Brown – it’s Yes, Minister meets The Rocky Horror Show! and a musical like no other.

Birmingham’s Repertory Theatre is the second stop on the UK tour for this hilarious new show following a sell-out run in London.

Penned by comedian Harry Hill, it is a hilarious tragedy of political intrigue, religion, power and romance that plays fast and loose with the facts. But that’s OK. This is a comedy rick opera after all, not Question Time.

But the ludicrous humour relies on the delivery to really hit the mark. Praise be then for Jack Whittle whose Blair was pristinely polished, capturing his voice and mannerisms unnervingly well.

Strong performances all round from all the cast but Howard Samuels’ camp comedy prowess keeps the laughs coming in his many guises including Peter Mandelson.

The show has attracted some criticism for chaotically covering too much territory in Blair’s life and political career but this show should not be approached as a history lesson, rather a comedic romp through the hero to villain legacy of the country’s second youngest Prime Minister.

If you don’t take it too seriously, you’ll love it as much as I did.

Don’t hang around though. Tony Blair The Rock Opera is on a short run in the Midlands and only plays at The Repertory Theatre until Saturday. Tickets can be booked here