ONE of the area’s largest employers will support this year’s search for Cheshire’s top tourism performers.
M&S Money is one of several big-name businesses to announce its backing of the Visit Chester & Cheshire Annual Awards.
The company is sponsoring the event on behalf of one of its nominated charities, the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Through this sponsorship, M&S Money aims to increase awareness of this charity as well as support its work with fundraising at specific events.
Established in memory of Tim Parry and Johnathan Ball, killed in the 1993 Warrington bomb attack, the Foundation for Peace educates people into living peaceful lives.
Representatives from the charity and M&S Money will be among those joining Wish You Were Here? presenter and awards host, Mark Durden-Smith as he unveils the names of the county’s top hotels, B&Bs, visitor attractions, tourism website managers and retailers at a ceremony in June.
“Chester-Cheshire’s tourism industry is thriving and its future exciting. It’s essential to maintain and encourage this success by promoting and rewarding the industry’s high standards,” explained Jeni Underhill, Community Relations Manager at M&S Money.
“M&S Money and the Foundation for Peace are delighted to lend their support to such a prestigious event, which instils so much pride, encourages inspiration and creates so many opportunities among Chester-Cheshire’s tourism providers.”
Jeni added: “Community support is very important to us at M&S Money and we have supported Foundation for Peace in a number of ways during the past year.
“By engaging our employees in fundraising and volunteering for local charities, we can successfully raise both public awareness and funding. Our employees also benefit in terms of the personal satisfaction they get from giving something back.”
Organised by local tourism board Visit Chester & Cheshire in association with the Chester Chronicle, and supported by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), the awards were first launched in 2004 to celebrate excellence, achievement and innovation within the visitor economy.
A panel of judges, including Entrepreneur and TV star Mo Chaudry, will select winners from each of the 15 awards categories, which include Best Small and Large Attractions.
Winners of a number of categories will automatically qualify for this year’s England’s Northwest Tourism Awards, organised by the NWDA. If successful, they may go on to take part in the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence.
Nominations close on Friday, April 11. Criteria and nomination forms are available online at www.visitchesterandcheshire.co.uk.
For further information on the Visit Chester & Cheshire Awards, contact Nicola Said at Visit Chester & Cheshire. Call 01244 405 600 or e-mail n.said@visitchesterandcheshire.co.uk.
