Artistic Wearside frm bids for award double

What a year it has been for ARTventurers which lifted the trophy for the Small Business of the Year category at last year’s awards.

The plaudits have kept on coming ever since for the firm which runs colourful, creative art classes for babies, toddlers and children, centred on children’s learning and development through art and creative play.

The idea is that children can come along and have fun in a safe, social environment - along with their grown ups.

Founder Fiona Simpson started the very first ARTventurers classes in Ashbrooke in 2011 and now ARTventurers has more than 30 branches across the UK.

She said there were “hundreds of children attending our classes each week.

“The last 18 months has been amazing for ARTventurers. In October we won two major industry awards in the What’s On 4 Kids Awards 2017 – Best Baby/Toddler Development Activity 2017 and Best Preschool Activity 2017, beating national competitors to be named best in our field. We were thrilled to be winners in the Small Business of the Year category in the Sunderland Echo Portfolio Awards 2017, were named Overall Top Franchise 2017 in the Working Mums Awards 2017 and won Small Business of the Year in the Networking Mummies UK Awards 2018.”

It’s a reflection of the growth of the business which has also seen the workforce expand at the head office.

Fiona added: “We believe that ARTventurers should win an award to recognise our business growth to date.

“We’ve been able to create fun, flexible family-friendly business opportunities through our innovative and creative approach to franchising and support our ARTventurers franchisees in their journey into the world of self employment, enabling them in turn to contribute to their local economies. ARTventurers is now a nationally recognised brand and a leading provider in the children’s activity market across the UK.”

Entries are pouring in for this year’s Portfolio Awards but we want more.

We want to hear from the people who make the area tick on the business front but we can only do that if we receive your nominations.

Individuals, businesses themselves – in fact anyone can put forward a nomination for this year’s awards for a company that they feel is deserving of recognition.

There are plenty of well-known categories from previous years such as small, medium and large business of the year, as well as exporter of the year.

Or you might want to enter sections such as apprentice of the year, technology of the year or best green business.

Whatever your choice, make sure you get those entries in so that we can honour the very best that Wearside has to offer.

Yet again, we have fantastic backers on board to help make the awards a success.

Make it Sunderland is again our headline sponsor, and will sponsor our overall Business of the Year Award, as well as a Lifetime Achievement award, which is in the sponsor’s gift.

Make It Sunderland is also backing the Small Business Category of the competition.

Another sponsor, BIC, is acknowledging the contribution social enterprises make to the city in the Social Enterprise Award.

Other sponsors are Northumbrian Water, Gentoo, Stagecoach in Sunderland, The Bid, ResQ, Maxim Brewery, Sunderland College, Creo, Station Taxis, Bradley Hall, and PG Legal Commercial Solicitors.

Get nominating and let’s make this a year of celebration of the best in Wearside business.

To nominate, post your nominations to Lynn Wild, Sunderland Echo, Alexander House, Rainton Bridge Business Park, Houghton-le- Spring, Sunderland. DH4 5RA.

Alternatively, you can email [email protected].