Vauxhall City Farm has been a little piece of countryside in the middle of London since 1976, but winning last year’s Lambeth Business Awards has helped to take the charity to a new audience.
Trustee Nigel Rust says winning the top prize of the South London Business-organised event at the Kia Oval last March has given the farm added prestige and played a part in helping to secure additional funding to make improvements.
And he is urging other Lambeth businesses to follow Vauxhall City Farm’s example by entering this year’s awards.
“We were so honoured to be named Business of the Year. We have been around for 35 years and it was lovely to be recognised as part of the community,” said Mr Rust.
“We rely on visitors coming to the farm so winning the awards made people more aware of us and lifted our prestige in the community.
“It has also given us extra profile and credibility when it comes to applying for fundraising. Our fundraisers say that being able to tell potential funders that we have won the awards has been a definite help.
“Winning the award has also given the staff, volunteers and trustees a great confidence boost – not that we were without confidence in what we were doing.
“By helping us to realise how good we actually are, winning the award has helped enormously and everyone has been walking around with their chests out knowing that they played their part in that success.”
Since winning the award, the farm has recorded its best annual financial figures for many years – despite the recession – and secured funding for an additional two horses for its hugely successful Riding Therapy Centre.
“It is very important for us because they are very special horses that are able to be ridden by all sorts of people whether they are adults, children, autistic, disabled or whatever.
“Some of our riders - Sharon Williamson, Polly Griffin and Julia Kappes - also won awards at the prestigious London Riding Horse Parade and Horse Show in Hyde Park.”
Mr Rust would encourage businesses to enter this year’s Lambeth Business Awards, sponsored by Barclays, since there are benefits whether you win or not.
“If you win there are obviously benefits because it helps to raise the profile of the business as well as the internal satisfaction it brings,” he said.
“But, even if you don’t win, it makes you look about what you are doing, what you are good at and, by filling in the form, helps you also to identify what you are doing that you are not so good at.”
There is still time to enter this year’s awards ahead of the closing date of Friday 3 February. There are 12 categories meaning companies of all sizes can gain recognition.
This year’s Lambeth Business Awards Gala Ceremony and Dinner takes place at the Kia Oval, the prestigious test match cricket venue, on Thursday 22 March. The evening, compered by popular radio presenter James Cannon, commences in style with a drinks reception and will be followed by a delicious three-course meal and the awards ceremony.
