Derwen College has been honoured with a top business award endorsed by Her Majesty the Queen.
We have been honoured with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Promoting Opportunity.
Judges for the prestigious national awards, which are recognised for five years, were impressed by our ‘Marketplace’ where students learn work skills in the garden centre, café, restaurant, print shop, charity shop and a small hotel developed in conjunction with Premier Inn.
They also recognised our work with external work placements and how we use technology, such as developing a CV Builder app which allows students to showcase their work skills to potential employers in an accessible way.
Derwen College is one of 226 national organisations to be recognised with a prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise.
Now in its 56th year, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the country, with winning businesses able to use the esteemed Queen’s Awards Emblem for the next five years.
In a formal letter, a spokesman for the Queen’s Awards said:
“I am delighted to inform you that Her Majesty the Queen has approved the Prime Minister’s recommendation that your company should receive a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Promoting Opportunity category this year.
“It has been an exceptionally hard few years for businesses and this achievement is testament to the resilience you and your staff have shown through these unprecedented times.
The award will be presented to the College by Queen’s representative Lord Lieutenant Anna Turner.
She said: “I am absolutely delighted to be celebrating the wonderful success of Derwen College in winning the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Promoting Opportunities.
“Judges for these awards look into every detail of your nomination as they want to absolutely certain they make a good selection. It makes me so pleased that we have four businesses in this county that have reached the required standards, and particularly one this is so inspirational in providing such a happy learning environment to so many young people.”
Principal Meryl Green from Derwen College is invited to attend a Reception at Buckingham Palace hosted by HRH the Prince of Wales in July.
We are so pleased to add this award to many others we have been shortlisted for, or won, for 2021 and 2022. In the last year, we’ve won Specialist College of the Year in the TES FE Awards and a NASEN (National Association for Special Educational Needs) Award. We are also shortlisted in the Aico Awards and the Shropshire Chamber Business Awards.
Meryl Green said: “Derwen College is having an exceptional year for awards; for our educational and care provision, and for our business ‘Marketplace’. To receive this very special award, endorsed by the Queen, during her Platinum Jubilee’ really is the icing on the cake. We are very proud to receive this distinguished award, and would like to thank all our staff, students, families, and the community who support our College, our Charity and our Marketplace.”