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The NSBRC , based at J16 , Swindon , has won the Employee Ownership Association ’ s award for ‘ Business Resilience ’ having been voted as the winner from a shortlist of thirteen submissions . The team initially had to submit their story , explaining how being employee owned had supported the business during the challenging times we have faced recently .
Businesses of all sizes wrote about how their focus on their people has supported employee health and wellbeing , helped the business adapt and delivered benefit for multiple stakeholders . These were then voted on by their peers .
Deb Oxley OBE , Chief Executive of the EOA , said ,“ We are delighted for NSBRC that their EO story of business resilience was voted for by their peers . It shows how the trust that has been built up in the business , by leveraging the strengths they have developed through being employee owned , supported them to quickly adapt and flex their offer , from being an exhibition venue almost totally reliant on in-person activity to seeking out ways to offer customer value digitally . The
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willingness of its employee owners to take on significantly different roles to support the business through this period has clearly resonated those who have voted , we wish the team well with all future opportunities this creates .”
Harvey Fremlin , Managing Director of the NSBRC , said , “ As soon as the Prime Minister instructed the nation to ‘ stay at home ’, we realised the pandemic would have a fundamental impact on our business . It left us with some daunting questions to answer . How could we run a national visitor centre with no visitors (!) and how to do that from our own kitchens or hastily made home-offices ?!
“ We had previously taken on the business following a period of adversity , and have made a great success of things in recent years , so I was confident that we would be able to overcome the challenge of the pandemic . What I perhaps under-estimated , was the sheer energy , tenacity and passion that my colleagues displayed to ensure that not only did we survive , but indeed thrived , and we now have new products and
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an enhanced offering for our visitors and exhibitors ."
The National Self Build & Renovation Centre ( NSBRC ) is unique , as the UK ’ s only visitor centre for people who are building , or improving , their own homes .
Since November 2014 , the NSBRC has been employee-owned with a ‘ hybrid ’ ownership model , with all of the team owning shares , some directly and all indirectly through their Employee Ownership Trust .
The number of employee owned businesses in the UK is growing at an annual rate of 10 per cent and interest in employee ownership is thriving . Alongside well known EO brands such as the John Lewis Partnership and Arup Group , many other household names have recently chosen
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to make their employees owners , including Aardman Animations , LUSH Cosmetics and Go Ape activity centres .
In 2022 the NSBRC is celebrating 15 years since first opening and the team have ambitious plans to have their busiest ever year . Harvey , said ,“ We have just launched a brand new website which features fantastic drone footage of the centre as well as more advice and inspiration for our visitors . We know the way we interact with our homes and the energy efficiency of buildings are high on people ' s radars , and in 2022 we ’ ll be putting on more events , workshops and courses than ever before to help people build better homes .”
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