Prestigious Lancastrian of the Year Award to be announced at this year’s BIBAs ceremony in September

While there are several business awards competitions in Lancashire these days, the BIBAs is the only one to bestow the illustrious Lancastrian of the Year accolade, and it’s thanks to the standing enjoyed by the competition’s organisers at the North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce.

It’s an accredited member of the UK’s Chamber network, and is the largest body of its kind in Lancashire, representing the interests of more than 1,600 members and the business community more widely by lobbying central and local governments for policies that enable economic growth and employment.

“The Chamber is recognised and respected as a leading voice of business by both the private and public sectors across Lancashire,” explained chief executive Babs Murphy, “while the BIBAs are well known for being run for the good of the business community and not for profit.

“It’s because of this that we’re able to hand out the Lancastrian of the Year award. People trust us in our judgement and that means that the Lancastian of the Year award carries real weight.”

Previous winners of the Lancastrian of the Year award include sports personality and businessman Sir Bill Beaumont CBE who won it in 2022, Edwin Booth DL, the chief executive of Booths Supermarkets, and Ann Dean, a PR and communications entrepreneur.

Unlike the winners in the other BIBAs categories, Lancastrian of the Year is picked by a group of former winners to recognise someone who has contributed to the county’s business community in a special way.

Babs added: “The Lancastrian of the Year is an award which recognises achievement over decades, not months.

“It is an award for someone who has contributed jobs, growth, new ideas and enthusiasm and is part of the fabric of what makes Lancashire such a special county to do business in.”

Norman Tenray is the chief executive of Longridge-based OBAS UK which is sponsoring the Business of the Year award. A long-time Chamber member, he added: “The BIBAs really is like no other awards competition out there, it’s got so much prestige associated with it thanks to the Chamber connection that it just has this unbelievable stature.

“Everyone recognises it as the best, and that reputation is why there are hundreds of entries every year. The awards command real respect across the whole business community and beyond, and I think that’s what gives the BIBAs the authority needed to award the title of Lancastrian of the Year.

“There have been some big name winners in the past, and I’m looking forward to discovering who will pick up this distinguished award in September.”