All winners

The first Connected Business Awards were held in the Carriage Shop Theatre at Derby College’s Roundhouse on Tuesday 8th April. The event recognised the achievements of individuals and businesses in Derby in respect of encouraging their employees to travel more sustainably. The first half of the event presented Connected accreditation certificates to businesses based on their achievements over the past 12 months. Businesses were awarded Gold, Silver, Bronze and Recognition certificates. For details on the Connected Accreditation Scheme click here.

In addition, five achievement awards were presented to those individuals and businesses in Derby who have done the most to encourage staff to travel more sustainably over the past 12 months. Congratulations to the winners of this year’s awards:

Connected Travel Champion of the Year

Winner – Sian Page, Interfleet Technology

Sian

The Connected Travel Champion of the Year award recognises the hard work and dedication of individuals at Connected businesses, in the promotion of sustainable travel at their place of work over the last 12 months.

Sian is the Safety Quality Environment Manager at rail consultancy Interfleet. Sian first engaged with Connected in April 2013, and since then she has been committed to obtaining the buy-in of senior management, as well as driving forward the promotion of sustainable travel within the organisation.

In a 6 month timeframe Sian has worked with Connected’s Travel Advisors to carry out a staff travel survey, the results of which were used to produce a Travel Action Plan. She has also supported the Connected team with the planning, promotion and delivery of a number of travel initiatives for Interfleet’s Derby staff including personalised travel planning, a bus taster ticket event and the provision of travel planning support for new graduates.

Connected Travel Initiative of the Year

Winner – Seven Trent, The Green Day Initiative  

Seven Trent Water

This award recognises the development and implementation, over the last 12 months, of the most successful and innovative idea which aims to encourage a business’s staff and visitors to travel more sustainably.

In 2013 Severn Trent moved around 400 contact centre staff from their Raynesway site to the former Egg offices on Pride Park. To manage the available parking spaces at the new site, the team at Severn Trent decided to introduce their ‘Green Day’ initiative – whereby employees were encouraged to travel by an alternative to the car for one day a week, thereby reducing daily parking demand by 20%. To support staff members with the relocation to Pride Park and the Green Day initiative, Severn Trent sought the Connected team’s help to promote sustainable travel options to staff. To date this has included the provision of transport information, the offer of personalised travel planning, an on-site bus taster ticket event, and Connected grant funding to improving cycle parking at the site.

Connected Small Employment Site of the Year

Winner – Tracsis

Tracsis

This award recognises the Connected business with less than 250 employees, which has made the most progress in encouraging staff and visitors to travel more sustainably in the last 12 months.

Tracsis is a consultancy providing services to the rail industry. They have a total of 33 staff in Derby based at their Pride Park (Tracsis) and Wyvern offices (MPEC). With support from Connected, Tracsis carried out a travel survey in June 2013 and based on this a Travel Action Plan was developed. The survey demonstrated demand for showers and, through a successful grant application, shower facilities were installed in Tracsis’ office within just 3 months of the first meeting. Tracsis have also offered their staff personal travel planning and have promoted wider Connected events such as the Pride Park Taster Ticket Event via the travel information board they have created onsite.

Connected Large Employment Site of the Year

Winner – Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Derby Hospital

The Connected Large Employment Site of the Year award recognises the business in the Connected network, with 250 or more employees, which has made the most progress in encouraging staff and visitors to travel more sustainably in the last 12 months.

Derby Hospitals (DHFT) has an active travel plan for its 9,000 staff, and has remained committed to promoting sustainable transport over the last 5 years. The 2013 staff travel survey showed that the Trust has reduced its single occupancy vehicle mode share by 8%, and seen increases in staff walking, cycling, and using public transport. With Connected support DHFT have run a number of travel events including a ‘public transport week’ to promote the launch the Spectrum multi-operator ticket with discounted tickets for staff, and a ‘Cycle2Work week’ with a static bike cycling competition, Dr Bike sessions and a BikeBackDerby bike donation day. The Trust was awarded a Connected Grant for improved changing rooms at their London Road site.

Connected Special Achievement Award

Winner – The Enthusiasm Trust

Enthusiasm

The Enthusiasm Trust works with young people to realise their potential, repair communities and reduce crime. In 2013 Enthusiasm ran a project which used the skills and hard work of local young people to improve and regenerate several local footways in the South East of Derby. The project was supported by a Connected grant and involved the removal of litter and graffiti and the tidying up of grassed areas, trees and hedges in order to make the routes more attractive to residents and encourage people to walk and cycle there.

The project was an overwhelming success and we are delighted to present the Connected Special Achievement Award to The Enthusiasm Trust in recognition of their hard work.

If you would like to find out how you can ‘Get Connected’ please email info@derbyconnected.com or call 01332 641775.

To see the Business Awards photo gallery click here.