MOST ORIGINAL NEW BUSINESS
SPONSORED BY EDUCATION TRAINING COLLECTIVE ( ETC .)
FINALIST
1st for EPA
Original New Business – Key Wellbeing ’ s Marie Ranson receives her award from Jason Faulkner , principal at Redcar & Cleveland College , part of category sponsors The Education Training Collective ( Etc .).
WINNER
KEY WELLBEING
“ We ’ re a business for good - we ’ re trying to make workplaces better for employees , which is so important right now .”
That ’ s the view of Key Wellbeing co-founder and commercial director Marie Ranson after the company picked up the Most Original New Business title .
Key Wellbeing is an employee support and training organisation delivering fun and engaging wellbeing initiatives that promote workplace self-care and positivity .
Its flagship service , the Key Wellbeing Hub , is an e-learning platform with accredited training courses , audio guides and downloadable resources , giving it a truly global reach . And as Marie says , it ’ s all aimed at “ trying to put the ‘ human ’ back into HR ”. She said : “ We started just wanting to do a few ‘ lunch and learns ’, getting people together in little groups .
“ Now we ’ ve got a whole online platform , three levels of support and a whole army of experts we work with delivering our programmes , and I couldn ’ t be prouder of what we ’ ve achieved .
“ We ’ re going to continue to grow our team – we ’ re currently hiring so there ’ s going to be a lot more KW people . There are currently three of us , we ’ re in interviews for a fourth and I think we ’ ll be hiring a few more this year as well .
“ I ’ m just so glad we could get ourselves to this point and it ’ s really exciting for the future .” And her message to others thinking of starting up a business ? “ My advice would be to get out of your old ways , believe in yourself and ask for help , because it ’ s definitely out there .”
SPONSOR MESSAGE
Winner of the night ’ s “ biggie ” – the Best New Business title - 1st for EPA has gone from strength to strength .
The apprenticeship assessment company has supported more than 600 apprentices through their end-point assessment ( EPA ), with a hugely impressive 98 per cent first-time pass rate . The company ’ s client list includes numerous huge employers , including JD Sports , BT , Channel 4 , ao . com , B & Q and Poundland .
Doubling its turnover year-on-year , and with ambitious growth plans , the company encourages flexible working and has a modern , innovative approach to end-point assessment .
FINALIST
The Pasta Man
The Pasta Man has reinvented fresh pasta for the 21st century . With food intolerances rising and a more sedentary population , many people need an alternative to carb-and glutenheavy pasta .
The Pasta Man – aka Teesside restaurateur Roberto Pittalis , who owns Café Lilli in Norton – has created a unique , legume-based alternative , safe for vegans and those with intolerances , which is also full of protein and low in refined carbs .
Since its launch in June this year , it has been flying off plates and shelves , allowing people with food allergies and those who want a healthier alternative to enjoy fresh pasta again .
Erika Marshall , group marketing director for the Education Training Collective ( Etc .), said : “ It was great to sponsor the Most Original New Business award and we are delighted for Key Wellbeing , the worthy winners . Health and wellbeing are so important , and there has never been a better time to shine a light on the positive work that companies like Key Wellbeing are doing to provide vital support .”
114 | Tees Business