Powys fieldwork agency celebrates after scooping award in London
A fieldwork agency is celebrating after bagging a major gong at an awards ceremony.
FieldMouse Research, co-founded by Sarah Morris, from Montgomery, Powys, won at the Market Research Society (MRS) Operations Awards.
Affectionately known as the 'Oppies', the popular awards, which were held in London, recognise the operational side of market research.
For the first time this year, the MRS Oppies included a category for Recruitment Excellence, referring to the recruitment of participants for qualitative research projects.
Seven fieldwork agencies were shortlisted and FieldMouse faced strong competition from long-established businesses.
However, the judges highlighted FieldMouse's 'focus on social purpose to ensure the fair representation of rural voices in research'.
Sarah said: "When my business partner Paul Flatters and I co-founded FieldMouse five years ago, it was very much with this social purpose of getting rural voices heard in the research industry.
"Our clients' research doesn't just inform marketing strategies, it often feeds into government policy so we felt it was critically important to address this rural blind spot in the research industry.
"To have our achievements recognised in the very first year of this major new MRS Oppies award is the most incredible feeling. I hope it also goes some way to reassure the farming and rural communities who take part in our clients' research that their voices are now being heard. This award is for them."
