The inaugural Eastside Awards in association with George Best Belfast City Airport have been launched to celebrate the best of East Belfast.
In an area of the city renowned for some of the country’s best footballers, best writers, best business leaders and best shipbuilders, it’s time to celebrate the best businesses, best food, best young people and best contributors to the local community.
Jonathan McAlpin of East Belfast Enterprise is the brain behind the inaugural awards. Launching the awards he said: “We want to recognise everything that is the best about East Belfast. These awards will celebrate the achievements of those who are contributing to the economic impact of this area, inspirational residents who volunteer their time to help others, those who entertain, those who are successful in their chosen sport or career, our next generation and those who are imparting knowledge to our next generation.”
There are twelve categories in the inaugural Eastside Awards in association with George Best Belfast City Airport: Eastside Award for Business Start Up; Eastside Award for Business Growth; Eastside Award for Business Contribution; Eastside Award for Digital Innovation; Eastside Award for Education; Eastside Award for Tourism; Eastside Award for Food Product or Services; Eastside Award for Contribution from the Community Sector; Eastside Award for Contribution to Sport; Eastside Award for Contribution to the Arts; Eastside Award for Young Person of the Year and Eastside Award for Volunteer of the Year.
Michelle Hatfield, Director of HR and Corporate Responsibility at Belfast City Airport, said: “Belfast City Airport works extremely closely with the local community through our adopted schools programme, our High Fliers Apprenticeship Scheme which has resulted in 100% of alumni securing full time jobs within the city and of course our Community Fund which has seen the airport invest almost £300,000 into local groups, projects and schools.
“We are therefore well aware of the individuals and organisations that go out of their way to make such fantastic contributions to the economic, social and community development of the area.
“The airport is delighted to partner with the Eastside Awards which have been developed to recognise and reward these achievements, and which will hopefully encourage others to follow suit and make east Belfast an even better place to live, work and enjoy.”
East Belfast TV presenter Tara Mills will host the awards at an evening of celebration on Thursday 26 January 2017 in Hastings Stormont Hotel.
To enter Eastside Awards in association with George Best Belfast City Airport by 18 November at 12 noon, log onto www.eastsideawards.org.
The free to enter awards are being supported by George Best Belfast City Airport, Avec Solutions, Connect Telecom, East Belfast Enterprise, Charles Hurst Fleet Financial, McGuinness Fleck, Millar McCall Wylie, Phoenix Natural Gas, Solv Group, Ulster Bank.