Finalists revealed as Shropshire business awards to celebrate help for young people

The Businesses for Children Awards (BCAs) celebrate businesses, organisations and charities which support and provide opportunities for children and young people in Shropshire.

A total of 13 awards will be presented including: children's charity, Shropshire childminder, children's product, business for babes, nursery/pre-school, educational business and sports business.

Children's Charity, sponsored by Henshalls Insurance Brokers:

The Hive

Home-Start Telford and Wrekin

Young Enterprise Shropshire

Empathy

Shropshire Wildlife Trust

Educational Business for Young People, sponsored by The Dyslexic Dyslexia:

Consultant

Shropshire Kids Festival

Headstart

Excitim

Teach Me Group Ltd

Bright Owls

Shropshire Childminder, sponsored by Yarrington

Susan Fulgoni Childminding

Little Daisies Childminding

Creative Steps Childcare

Su's Childminding

Stacey's Childminding

Shropshire Parent's Award, sponsored by SJF Design and Print

Fidget Pie

Stacey''s Childminding

Musical Steps

Baby Bird Cafe

Create Family Calm

New Business for Children and Young People, sponsored by J&PR Ltd

Diddy Rugby

Chatty Chinese

Create Family Calm

Baby Bird Cafe

Shropshire Event Nannies

Business for Babes

Sing and Sign

Baby Bird Cafe

Baby Sensory Shropshire

Musical Steps

Pyjama Drama

Sports Business for Children and/or Young People, sponsored by Kingswood

Centres

Diddy Rugby

JBS Martial Arts

MD Warriors

Inspire2Coach (The Shrewsbury Club)

Wrekin Riders BMX Club

Volunteer of the Year

Jeanette Griffiths (Shropshire Parent and Carer Council)

Robyn Hughes (Hoo Farm)

Sue Dewhirst (CRY)

Keiran Edwards (Wrekin Riders)

Elizabeth James (Synergy Dance Troupe)

Business providing Activities for Young People, sponsored by Ed Bagnall Photography

Headstart

Jungleland Telford

Shrewsbury Folk Festival

Silhouette Dance

Shropshire Kids Festival

Children's Product, sponsored by Memo Office

Simply Magical Photography

Bellini's Box

Special Additions

Excitim

Fidget Pie (Kidstrapp)

Shropshire Nursery/Pre-School, sponsored by Park Inn by Radisson

ABC Day Nursery

The Bears Den Preschool

Honeybuns Nursery Telford

Tiddlywinks Ltd

Puddleducks Under Fives

Shropshire Franchisee, sponsored by Vehicle Glass Conversions - Shropshire

Baby Ballet

Little Kickers

Baby Sensory Ludlow

Sing and Sign

Musical Steps

Business Providing Activities for Under Fives, sponsored by University Centre Shrewsbury

Shropshire Kids Festival

Chatty Chinese

Shrewsbury Folk Festival

Musical Steps

Baby Ballet

This year, for the first time there will be a volunteer of the year award.

The shortlists for each category have been released and the winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at The Park Inn, Telford, on March 11.

Henshalls Insurance Brokers, based in Newport, have given their backing for the event, and are the headline sponsors for 2017.

Dave Williams, marketing director at Henshalls Insurance Brokers, said: "We have watched the businesses for children awards grow year on year.

"We are looking forward to the awards, and the judges have a tough job ahead of them in choosing the winners in categories which have attracted such high calibre organisations which all do fantastic work."

It is the fourth instalment of the awards, and this year the event, hosted by BBC Shropshire's film critic Carl Jones, will begin at 6.45pm.

Andra Brasovanu, awards co-ordinator for 2017, said: "Our judges were very impressed by both the number and quality of entries this year.

"I know they are going to have a really difficult job to choose between the shortlisted businesses, but we always say that to be shortlisted is in itself a fantastic achievement so everyone should be very proud of themselves."

2016 BCA winners include: The Baby Bird Café in Oswestry which won the 2016 New Business and Business for Babes award, while Honeybuns Nursery won the award for best Nursery in Shropshire last year and Bellini's Box took home the award for the best Children's Product.

A Young Apprentice winner will also be appearing at the awards as a guest speaker.

Ashleigh Porter-Exley won the 2012 series of the BBC1 show and was recently named as a Queen's Young Leader and Apprenticeship and Enterprise Ambassador for the UK.

During dinner, a game of Heads and Tails will be held to raise money for the winning children's charity. At the 2016 event more than £500 was raised for The Harry Johnson Trust.

Tickets are still available for the ceremony and can be purchased at bcawards.co.uk