How we won 4 UK Business Awards For Our Work During The Pandemic

We are proud to announce that we are quadruple winners at the 2021 UK Business Awards!

These prestigious awards promote and champion innovation and enterprise within the UK. Businesses of all sizes can enter, with us competing with the likes of DHL, Octopus Energy and Hermes. Each entry is judged by a large panel of independent judges based upon criteria such as innovation and creativity and the impact that the initiative has had on a business.

We had been shortlisted as finalists in 4 different categories and are honoured to have received an award in each. It is great to be recognised for the  the incredible work of our team has put in over the last 12 months.

Our UK Business Awards Results 2021

Business Transformation – Gold Awards Winner (1st)

Best Response to the Crisis (SME) – Gold Awards Winner (1st)

Team of the Year (SME) – Silver Awards Winner (2nd)

Best Sustainability Initiative – Bronze Awards Winner (3rd)

Transforming in Response to the Crisis

When the pandemic started we were hit extremely hard, as so many businesses were. The majority of our work is supplying businesses, teams and communities with clothing for uniforms, promotions and events. Promotions and events were all cancelled and many industries such as gyms and hospitality were no longer buying uniform due to being closed up. We had to react quickly in order to survive and protect jobs.

Our team kicked into innovation mode and through initiatives ranging from our work to supply the NHS with much needed workwear to our ability to source stock despite national shortages, we were able to keep our main business stable throughout the worst of it. What really set us apart though was our partnership with Alder Hey Children’s Hospital to launch the Brilliant Mask.

This project started with us doing what we do best. Printing. Alder Hey’s world class innovation centre had worked with leading textile firm English Fine Cottons to develop an effective, comfortable, sustainable and entirely UK made face covering for visitors and patients at the hospital. With sustainability and UK manufacturing key to the brief we were delighted to be selected as the partner trusted to print the vibrant designs onto the masks and become an important part of the supply chain for this fantastic product. We quickly recognised that this Face Covering was too good to just be used for one hospital and proposed we worked with Alder Hey and English Fine Cottons to launch the product for national sale, helping fight the pandemic, protecting UK jobs and raising vital funds – and so the Brilliant Mask was born. Building this brand and bringing it to a wider market was an exciting challenge for us and by doing it successfully we have supported our own business through challenging times, created at least 26 jobs across the supply chain and raised over £84,000 for NHS Charities and Hospitals to date.

Brilliant Masks have been designed and tested to the toughest industry health and infection standards and are intended to be one of the best in the market in terms of comfort, breathability, fit and protection. The Brilliant Mask is reusable being fully washable and is easy to iron.  The face coverings are made of super soft 400 thread Supima cotton and have an anti-viral coating being sustainably sourced with a transparent and traceable supply chain. Brilliant Masks are manufactured from start to finish in the UK and are printed using toxic-free Greenprinted™️ Technology

Acting Sustainability

Sustainability is always at the forefront of our operations and was something we have not compromised during the pandemic. We have invested over £1M in eco printing technology in recent years, which uses 95% less water than conventional printing. Our Greenprinted™️ process uses no nasty chemicals and is powered solely by renewable energy. 

Alongside using Greenprinted™️ technology, the awards again recognised our Brilliant Masks initiative. The Brilliant coverings are reusable and made from cotton which will biodegrade. Being reusable helps to combat the issue of single-use plastic, an issue which had only got worse over the pandemic. TradeWaste found that 3 million face masks are sent to landfill each day in the UK. A Brilliant Mask lasts for a minimum of 30 washes therefore, by using one Brilliant Mask, the use of at least 30 single-use disposable face masks is saved.    

Team of the year

Our successes at the UK Business Awards is down to the hard work and adaptability of our teams and supply partners. From our operations team adapting to printing mask fabric, to our logistics and dispatch team having to adapt to a brand new pick and pack operation everyone pulled together. It really has been a team effort to keep the business in a strong position as the world hopefully emerges out of the pandemic in the coming months.

Well done team!