Barnsley and Rotherham Business Awards 2024 – A Celebration of Business Excellence 

On Friday, 8th November, Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce hosted the annual Barnsley and Rotherham Business Awards – A Celebration of Business, at Magna in Rotherham. The event, headline sponsored by Barnsley College, welcomed over 500 guests from across Barnsley, Rotherham, and South Yorkshire. 

The evening was a spectacular blend of entertainment and recognition of leading businesses and outstanding individuals across the region, featuring live music, a DJ set, and the thrilling Cliffhanger ride to conclude the festivities. 

Hosted by Look North presenter Amy Garcia, the awards ceremony included the presentation of ten prestigious awards plus the overall ‘Champion of Champions’ Business of the Year award, recognising exceptional achievements across a diverse range of organisations and industries. The awards celebrated everything from outstanding entrepreneurs vying for Business Person of the Year to apprentices demonstrating exceptional dedication to career development. 

Carrie Sudbury, Chief Executive of Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber, said, “The Barnsley and Rotherham Business Awards truly showcased our local business community. Each finalist and winner on the evening demonstrated the innovation, dedication, and hard work that make South Yorkshire such a special place to do business. We are so proud to celebrate their achievements.” 

“I’d like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who helped make the evening a success.” 

“A special shoutout must go to Barnsley College, our headline sponsor—who truly brought something extra to the evening. To all our sponsors, your generosity made the night possible, and your commitment to South Yorkshire businesses is incredible.” 

“Congratulations to all our winners, highly commended, and shortlisted businesses—what a fantastic achievement!” 

For 2024, a new category was introduced to honour the Large Business of the Year, alongside awards recognising best practices in sustainability, commitment to staff development, customer service, and business growth. 

Among the evening’s standout winners was Sky High Tree & Ground Maintenance Services, which took home the coveted Business of the Year award. The local company has seen impressive growth since its founding, expanding to serve industry leaders in both commercial and residential construction across the North of England. 

The Charity of the Year award went to Barnsley FC Community Trust, recognised for its inspiring, inclusive programmes that harness the power of Barnsley Football Club to support the local community and create positive change.

A special tribute was paid to long-serving businesses that have contributed to the region’s economy, with milestone certificates awarded to Electrical Safety UK Limited (20 years), Barnsley Hospice (30 years), Brearley & Co Accountants (40 years), JC Snell (90 years), and White’s Bakery (90 years).

Reflecting on the significance of the awards, Chamber President Matthew Stephens said, “Over the past twelve months there has been some incredible work delivered by businesses of all sizes across South Yorkshire. I would like to congratulate each and every business who supported this year’s event. The standard of entries was exceptional and every organisation who was shortlisted, highly commended and winners on the night should feel incredibly proud of their achievements.

Collectively members of Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber employ more than 70,000 people across South Yorkshire. The success of events like our business awards helps to showcase and celebrate the achievements of our incredibly diverse business community – from start-ups taking the very first steps on their business journey to longstanding businesses which have collectively devoted 270 years of service to our local communities and despite many businesses preparing themselves for challenging times, at least in the short term, the Chamber will continue to offer support, advice and campaign on behalf of South Yorkshire businesses to ensure their voices are heard.”

In addition, a heartfelt tribute was made to Chris MacCormac MBE, CEO of the Morthyng Group, who was honoured for his nearly 30 years of leadership and dedication to education and community support. Starting as a youth worker in 1980, Chris transformed Morthyng into a leading national training provider, helping thousands from disadvantaged backgrounds. He retires after a distinguished career and was celebrated for his lasting impact on the local community.

The full list of 2024 Barnsley and Rotherham Business Awards winners includes:

Salute to Business Sponsored by GXO Logistics, Inc.

Electrical Safety UK – 20 years

Barnsley Hospice – 30 years

Brearley & Co Accountants – 40 years

JC Snell Ltd – 90 years

White’s Bakery – 90 years

Business of the Year Sponsored by Innovation Network South Yorkshire

Sky High Tree & Ground Maintenance Services

Apprentice of the Year Sponsored by RNN Group UK

Winner – Leo Lewin, Affinity 2020 CIC

Highly Commended – Ateeb Mughal – Equans UK & Ireland

Highly Commended – Joshua Turver – Gala Tent

Shortlisted – Aiden Ellis – Osbourne Technologies Ltd

Shortlisted – James Stretton – Equans UK & Ireland

Business Community Impact Sponsored by Together Rotherham Partnership

Winner – Cranswick Convenience Foods

Highly Commended – Glu Recruit LTD

Highly Commended – MAKE YOUR MARK UK

Shortlisted – Home Instead Sheffield & Barnsley

Shortlisted – Mway Comms

Business Growth Sponsored by South Yorkshire Apprenticeship Hub

Winner – Sky High Tree & Ground Maintenance Services Limited

Highly Commended – Airmaster

Highly Commended – M R Machine Knives

Shortlisted – Trust Education

Shortlisted – Wayv. Talk and Broadband for Business

Business Person of the Year Sponsored by IT Desk UK

Winner – Alicia Hewitt Secure Power

Highly Commended – James Biggin Steel City Marketing Ltd

Highly Commended – Luke Hammill – Sky High Tree & Ground Maintenance Services Limited

Shortlisted – Mark Smith 🔵 – Make Your Mark UK

Shortlisted – Rob Shaw – Glu Recruit

Charity of the Year Sponsored by Westfield Health

Winner – Barnsley FC Community Trust

Highly Commended – Age UK Rotherham

Highly Commended – Weston Park Cancer Charity

Shortlisted – Rotherham Hospice

Shortlisted – The Archer Project

Commitment to People Development Sponsored by Barnsley College

Winner – Equans

Highly Commended – IT Desk (UK) Limited

Highly Commended – Secure Power

Shortlisted – Home Instead Sheffield & Barnsley

Shortlisted – SMH Haywood & Co

Excellence in Customer Service Sponsored by Boohoo Group PLC

Winner – Glu Recruit LTD

Highly Commended – MED-EL

Highly Commended – IT Desk (UK) Limited

Shortlisted – Rotherham Insurance Brokers

Shortlisted – Signum Facilities Management Ltd

Large Business of the Year Sponsored by EmergencyCover.Com

Winner – MACE GROUP

Highly Commended – Instantprint

Highly Commended – Equi-Trek Limited

Shortlisted – Equans

Shortlisted – Boohoo Group PLC

Most Promising New Business Sponsored by Actus Insurance

Winner – Trust Education

Highly Commended – Grassroots Sports Academy Yorkshire

Highly Commended – Morgan Wills & Trusts

Shortlisted – Empress Building & Ballroom

Shortlisted – AHJ Wills & Estates Ltd

Sustainability Award Sponsored by Enzygo

Winner – Barnsley College

Highly Commended – Instantprint

Highly Commended – Equans

Shortlisted – KCM Waste Management Limited

Shortlisted – Hydrov Ltd

For more information on the awards, visit www.brawards.co.uk or email [email protected].