Record Breaking 2024 Ballymena Business Excellence Awards

Ballymena businesses were out in force on Thursday night at the Gala Awards evening in Tullyglass House Hotel to celebrate the 21st year of The Ballymena Business Excellence Awards. This year not only saw a record number of entries but a record Gala attendance with 470 guests from the local business community in attendance.

This year saw forty-nine businesses who had never previously applied entering the awards with ten of the prestigious awards going to non-Chamber members.

Front Row – Mrs Adrienne Wiggins, Mrs Hannah Wiggins, Alderman Beth Adger MBE, Mayor Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Interim Chief Executive Valerie Watts, Laura Calderwood and Chamber Honorary Secretary Carol Wilson

Back row – Pete Snodden, Mark Wiggins President Ballymena Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Tom Wiggins, Chief Executive Ballymena Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Mr Rory Watts.

The awards are organised annually by Ballymena Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the principal sponsor this year was Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.

Cool FM’s Pete Snodden was the compere for the evening and his first duty was to invite Chamber President Mark Wiggins to speak.

Mark said ‘Tonight, is about celebrating the success of the Ballymena Business Community focusing on the huge contribution made by local businesses and to highlight the commitment made by so many individuals. I have been involved with the Chamber Management Committee for the past 8 years and I am passionate about helping our businesses develop and grow. As a Chamber we see the awards as an excellent platform promoting Ballymena to the rest of Northern Ireland as a great place to live, work and do business.

We are extremely proud of the fact that 470 representatives from local businesses are here tonight to prove that business in the Ballymena area is healthy and vibrant and that we are one of the centres of entrepreneurial excellence within the Northern Irish business community. Tonight is without question one of the biggest business events in Northern Ireland.

‘I would like to thank all our sponsors, especially our principal sponsor Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. Chamber has had an excellent working relationship with the Council in recent years and we look forward to building on that relationship in the future. To our individual category sponsors, many of whom return year on year to support the awards, we really are grateful for your support, without your support there would be no awards’.

Mark went on to thank Barbara and Russell Campbell from Barbara Campbell Training and Consultancy who had the difficult job of organising the judging process. Together with the staff at The Tullyglass House Hotel and Chamber’s backroom team including Gillian McKeown and Festival Productions.

Mark finished by thanking the Chamber’s Chief Executive Tom Wiggins who organised the Awards process and The Gala evening assisted by his wife Adrienne and the Chamber’s Honorary Secretary Carol Wilson with a special mention for the support provided by his Mark’s wife Hannah.

Carol Wilson, Chamber Honorary Secretary, presenting a gift from the Chamber Management Committee to the newlyweds Mark and Hannah Wiggins.

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Beth Adger MBE, said: “Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is proud to continue its role as the main event sponsor for what is undoubtedly a highlight in the local business calendar.

“We remain committed to working together with the Chamber and our local entrepreneurs to ensure that Ballymena remains a successful place to do business, whilst also providing opportunities and support for future growth and prosperity”.

The Mayor also mentioned the work that Council has been undertaking in the local area in particular the success of the St. Patrick’s Barracks development and the work currently being undertaken to develop and support new and existing business in the Ballymena Area.

The Mayor finished by saying “Congratulations to all of the finalists and winners, and to the organisers of the awards, which are a fitting recognition of the innovation, commitment and resilience of our brilliant local business community.”

Chamber would like to thank Tullyglass House Hotel for their excellent food and first-class service. The highlight of the evening of course was the presentation of the awards, and the atmosphere was electric as the awards were introduced by Pete Snodden.

During the evening Mark Wiggins, Chamber’s President and Tom Wiggins, Chamber’s Chief Executive presented a cheque to NI Children’s Hospice for £20,158 the proceeds of the Chamber’s 4nd Annual Charity Golf Day. The cheque was accepted by Julie Martin on behalf of the Ballymena Hospice Support Group and The NI Children’s Hospice This means that in the past three years Chamber and its members have raised over £80,000 for these worthy causes, through their charity golf days.

Julie Martin from The NI Children’s Hospice accepting a cheque for £20,158 from Tom Wiggins Ballymena Chamber of Commerce CEO and Chamber President Mark Wiggins, with Pete Snodden and Hannah Wiggins. The money was raised at the Chamber’s recent Charity Golf Day organised to raise money for the NI The Children’s Hospice.

Tom Wiggins, Chamber’s Chief Executive said, “This year as a Chamber have again sponsored two new awards”. The first award ‘The Special Recognition Award’ was presented to Gracehill Old School Trust to acknowledge the fantastic achievement of having Gracehill Moravian Village designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The second award sponsored by Chamber, the ‘Services to The Community Award’ was presented to Debbie Chestnutt from Good Morning Ballymena to thank Debbie and her volunteers for the support they provide to elderly and often isolated people within the local community.

During the evening a raffle was held with the proceeds going to the NI Hospice and The NI Children’s Hospice. Chamber would like to thank the following businesses for donating prizes for the raffle:

· The Galgorm Hotel

· The Grouse

· Galgorm Castle Golf Club

· Create and Conquer florist

· Tom and Adrienne Wiggins

The raffle raised a fantastic amount of £3,748 for The NI Hospice and The NI Children’s Hospice.

The record-breaking evening was rounded off with entertainment from New Light who soon had the guests on their feet dancing the night away.