New award categories celebrate the business heroes of the pandemic

The 2021 Merton Best Business Awards launched today at Wimbledon BookFest, as Merton’s business owners gathered to reflect on their experiences of the past 18 months.    

Diana Sterck, CEO of Merton Chamber of Commerce and the organiser of the MBBAs, announced a new set of award categories that will shine a light on the organisations, teams and individuals who have survived, revived and thrived against the unique challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Newly created awards include:

• the ‘Team Spirit’ award to recognise how people have pulled together to propel their business forward
• ‘Leader of the Year’ and ‘Star of the Year’ to recognise those who showed guidance, strength and leadership to their colleagues despite difficult circumstances
• an ‘Arts & Culture’ award for organisations in the creative arts industry, many of which were unable to operate for many months
• ‘Best for Innovation and Customer Focus’ for businesses that have put their customers first throughout
• and a ‘Retail Award’ for independent retailers who were able to react and adapt to survive;

Members of the public will still have a chance to vote for their favourite hospitality business, but this year they will also be asked to nominate their Local Business Hero – a business that has gone above and beyond during the pandemic, despite the circumstances.

Applications are open now and businesses of all shapes and sizes are invited to apply for an award. Diana said: “These new award categories will demonstrate the incredible resourcefulness and resilience of Merton’s businesses in the face of unprecedented challenge. Applying for an MBBA is the ideal way to show the world just how proud you are of your company and your team, and we encourage everyone to take part so that we can celebrate together. I can’t wait to hear the stories of how Merton’s businesses have survived, revived and thrived this year.”

Visit our categories page to apply for an award, nominate a colleague or vote for your favourite local business.

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