West Sussex County Council has been presented with an award from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) for its work in promoting the ‘buy local’ message.
The award came from the FSB’s South East Local Authority Small Business Awards 2009, which recognise excellence and innovation in public sector initiatives supporting small businesses in the economy.
The awards panel praised the County Council for its commitment in supporting the aims of the ‘Keep Trade Local’ FSB campaign and said the Council ‘clearly championed the promotion of local small businesses to both residents and visitors’.
The County Council was also praised for its promotion of local produce, including through the magazine ‘Taste West Sussex’ and the new ‘Sussex Foods’ initiative, in which the Council aims to use 60 percent of local produce as part of the ongoing support for local business.
County Council Leader Henry Smith said: “I am delighted the County Council’s work has been recognised. Our work to support West Sussex businesses is more important than ever during the recession and forms the basis of our ‘Keep West Sussex Working’ initiative that aims to help both businesses and residents.”
Cabinet Member for Environment and Economy Deborah Urquhart said: “Our work to help local business continues, with our latest initiative being the West Sussex Sustainable Business Network. This will enable businesses from across the county to network with each other, and provide a series of workshops to help them reduce energy costs and become more environmentally friendly.”
To find out about County Council initiatives visit the County Council website at www.westsussex.gov.uk and click on ‘Keep West Sussex Working’.
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