Burnham-On-Sea’s BARB Search & Rescue has received a top award for its work in the local community this week.
BARB won the Community Engagement Award at Thursday night’s 2016 Sedgemoor Business Awards.
The charity’s community engagement sees its team of volunteers holding open days at its hovercraft station throughout the year, visiting local schools and fetes, holding talks on beach safety for local groups, organising fundraising events, and distributing costal safety advice.
BARB’s Chairman Mark Newman said he was delighted the charity had won the award, which includes a £1,000 bursary towards the cost of new rescue equipment.
“This award is fantastic recognition for our charity’s dedicated volunteers, who put in many hundreds of hours each year on training, fundraising and attending incidents,” he said. “We are very proud to receive an award at the Sedgemoor Business Awards for a third year running.”
Burnham’s Food & Drink Festival was also short-listed for the community award and its director, Bev Milner Simonds, congratulated BARB, saying: “It’s great to see the award coming to Burnham, and to such a hard-working and deserving charity as BARB, whom we congratulate.”
Other award winners at Thursday evening’s awards ceremony, which was held in front of an audience of over 200 people at Bridgwater’s McMillan Theatre, included International Trader of The Year to Micron Biosystems, Family Business of the Year to Petruth Paddocks, Independent Trader/ Retailer of the Year to Timeless Images, Marketing Campaign of the Year to Pardoes Solicitors, Customer Service Excellent to Petruth Paddocks, New Business of The Year to The Somerset Larder, Micro Business of the Year to Clavelshay Barn, Small Business of the Year to the Bower Inn, Large Business of the Year to Bridgwater College, and Young Entrepreneur of the Year to Levels’ Lamb.
Pictured: Top, the winners at last night’s ceremony and, above, BARB’s Chairman receiving the award (photos Jeff Searle)
