Local businesses scoop National Rural Business Awards

Horam based outdoor education business The Great Out-tours has beaten a raft of excellent businesses to win ‘The Best UK Rural Professional Services Business Award’. The award was presented at a glittering Rural Business Awards ceremony, hosted in Manchester, last Friday 28 February.

The organisers describe the award as a celebration of any professional service business that has established a position in a rural locale, or serves a rural client group. Their view is that these businesses have embraced the challenges of operating within a rural marketplace, demonstrated by the development of a clear business strategy, which addresses the unique challenges of working with individuals and companies operating rural and land-based businesses. This is what John Brooksbank, Founder, The Great Out-tours had to say about the win:

“We are absolutely thrilled to have won this award, the cream of the British crop, the pinnacle of UK Rural Professional Service!

We determine who we are by what we do. To a person we have a passion to inspire people in the countryside. Every single Great Out-tours team member puts in so much hard work to ensure that adults with special needs, attending our adult ‘Four Seasons Activity’ programmes and children participating in our Primary after school clubs, get an illuminating, educational and rewarding experience.

The door to success is marked ‘Push’ and for me personally, building the business from an idea to award winning status, was not just about revelling in the early successes but pushing through the challenges too. We experienced seismic obstacles in our development and such defining moments were surmounted with an inner drive and commitment by all our team, which led to some of our greatest initiatives and successes.”

John is well know among the many primary schools in East Sussex, for his popular after school clubs. More recently, he has taken this love of nature to new heights, with the development of a fully resourced and structured ‘Four Seasons’ after school, outdoor learning programme which is replicated by franchisees across the UK.

The Great Out-tours wasn’t the only East Sussex winner, fellow Heathfield News member, Catsfield Christmas Tree Farm received the ‘Triumph Over Adversity Award’.

“Speaking after winning the Award, Clive Collins from Catsfield Christmas Tree Farm said: “I am delighted to have won the Triumph Over Adversity Award. Following a life-changing accident while working as a forrester, I refused to let anything stand in the way of pursuing my dream to run a christmas tree farm. Catsfield Christmas Tree Farm has just celebrated being in business for 30 years, and I am proud of everything my team and I have achieved. Receiving this award from the Rural Business Awards and Amazon really is the icing on the cake of a landmark year for us.”