Queen’s Award for devoted volunteer
A retired businessman who has spent the past nine years volunteering support to 500 new and potential businesses will have his efforts rewarded with the presentation of a Queen’s Award.
In July, John Vernon of Bampton, will attend a Buckingham Palace reception hosted by Her Majesty the Queen in honour of receiving the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion.
He was nominated by Lynette Riley of Cherwell District Council, which runs the Oxfordshire Business Enterprises (OBE) advice service for people wishing to start their own businesses, to which Mr Vernon has devoted his time since 2004.
Mrs Riley, who will accompany Mr Vernon to the palace reception, said: “All of us at Oxfordshire Business Enterprises consider ourselves fortunate and privileged to know John and have him on our team. We nominated John in recognition of his huge voluntary contribution and as a public thank you from all of his clients over the years.
“John inspires clients and fellow advisors alike, all of which is on a voluntary basis in his spare time. With his encouragement, experience and insight, John has helped people not just to start and develop their own businesses, but to avoid pitfalls and reconsider business plans before costly mistakes are made.
“We felt this nomination would give confidence to the whole team of voluntary advisors and ensure the long term availability of this valuable service to local entrepreneurs, the model of which could be shared across the UK.”
The Oxfordshire Business Enterprises has been in existence in various forms, for the past 25 years. However in late 2007 Cherwell District Council took over the role of coordinating the service, which uses experienced volunteers to provide free, face to face, high quality expert advice to residents thinking of starting their own business.
Since Cherwell took over managing the service, it has held approximately 2,500 one-to-one sessions countywide, 465 of which were for Cherwell residents and 115 for people living outside of Oxfordshire’s boarders, including South Northamptonshire. It has been funded by all of Oxfordshire’s councils and enabled volunteers and private business to contribute further value.
Mr Vernon, who previously worked in the engineering industry prior to his retirement, said: “When I found out about this award my first reaction was disbelief! I regard this as a tribute to all of the Oxfordshire Business Enterprises team, the service itself and Cherwell District Council which has hosted it since 2007 and I want to thank everyone who is involved, particularly Lynette Riley and Steven Newman from the council.
“I feel what we do as a service is helping to kick start the Government drive to get more companies growing and more people into business. It is a really essential, free service which holds amazing value for the people of Oxfordshire.”
In addition to offering advice and support to entrepreneurs, Mr Vernon has also been instrumental in working to ensure the future sustainability of OBE through a transfer of the coordination of the service from Cherwell District Council to an outside body to enable it to develop further over the coming years.
Cherwell’s chief executive Sue Smith said: “We are absolutely delighted that John is to receive a Queen’s Award for his work with Oxfordshire Business Enterprises. This award not only recognises the huge contribution which John has made to the service personally, but also the invaluable support which OBE has offered to thousands of residents across the county.”
Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills will present the award at the BIS headquarters in Westminster prior to the Buckingham Palace reception.
