NEWS
BROMLEY CELEBRATES ‘ ABOVE AND BEYOND ’ BUSINESS COMMUNITY HEROES
ABBBAS WINNERS AND FINALISTS
The best of North West Kent ’ s business heroes were celebrated on 9 November for their commitment to going ‘ above and beyond ’ and supporting their local communities . Following months of anticipation , the winners of the Above & Beyond Bromley Business Awards ( ABBBAs ) have now been announced .
The best of Bromley ’ s business heroes were celebrated for their commitment and support of their local community ; more than 200 attendees from businesses across the borough attended the ABBBAs to hear who had won each of the 12 categories , which included Best Startup , Best Social Impact Company and Business Personality of the Year .
The winning companies of 2023 were selected by judges from a wide range of ages , experiences and backgrounds including Lee Thomas from The Fairlight Group ; Kristel Valaydon from KV Comms ; Bromley resident judge , Aysha Best-Forbes ; Chandra Sharma from Elmcroft Business Services ; and Gary
Valentine-Fuller from Valentine & Turner . The ABBBAs attracted nearly 300 submissions and nominations which were judged on a points system instead of a popularity vote to ensure complete impartiality and transparency .
The 12 categories and overall winners represented a wide range of industries from across the borough ’ s business community . For more information , a full list of winners and information on 2024 ’ s ABBBAs , please visit the-abbbas . co . uk .
DAVINA McCALL URGES YOUNG WOMEN TO ‘ STAND UP AND MAKE NOISE ’
VIRTUAL REALITY HAS ARRIVED AT ELWICK PLACE
Davina McCall – TV personality and women ’ s health advocate – encouraged young women to “ stand up and make noise ” at the inaugural Women and Wellness conference hosted by Benenden School last month .
Davina opened the conference , which saw a range of speakers discuss topics such as the menopause , pensions , investing , nutrition and digital safety , with a keynote speech and Q & A session . Around 200 students and members of the local community were in attendance to learn more about the issues that matter to women in the 21st century , with Davina encouraging the engaged audience of students to go after what they want , saying : “ I cannot encourage you more to hustle . If you think you don ’ t have a voice , get someone ’ s email address and make a noise . You have to keep walking : things happen if you walk . If you sit down and wait for someone to come to you , it ' s not going to happen .”
This was the first Women and Wellness Conference held at Benenden School , which is renowned as one of the UK ’ s leading independent schools . The conference was designed to inform and empower young women to influence real change for generations to come . It comes hot on the heels of the school ’ s recent global conference entitled Inspiring Future Female Leaders , which saw inspirational alumnae – including HRH The Princess Royal and HRH Princess Basma bint Talal of Jordan – energise students from more than 120 schools across the globe .
To celebrate the exciting launch of Elwick Place ’ s newest resident – Virtual Recreation – an evening of virtual fun took place at the new immersive experience space in Unit 2 at Elwick Place last month , attended by VIPs including Larry Klause , Mayor of Ashford .
Keli Nolan-Lyons , town centre and regeneration manager , says : “ Virtual Recreation is a real asset to Ashford Town Centre , bringing both Arcade VR and a Free Roam arena to the borough . The launch was a great opportunity to try the incredible state-of-the-art equipment , showcasing that there really is something on offer for everyone . We wish Jackie and her team much success !”
Virtual Recreation has now opened its doors in Unit 2 – taking up half of the former Macknade building , and will offer adults and children alike the chance to immerse themselves in a whole host of virtual reality experiences from swimming with whales to fighting zombies .
As well as being able to be transported to another world using Virtual Recreation ’ s top-of-the-line equipment with high quality visuals and crystalclear audio in one of the VR Arcade Booths , visitors can also enjoy the experience with friends , family or colleagues .
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