CREST – Surrey’s only green business awards to end

Surrey’s only green business awards programme, CREST Business Awards Ltd, has announced that is bringing its operation to a close.

Since its launch in 2020, CREST has continually met and extended its mission to celebrate and motivate environmental sustainability in businesses working or based within Surrey in association with the University of Surrey.

The awards, led by co-directors Carol Miller and Terry Tidbury, have helped and supported sustainable eco-business initiatives through its awards events, the Green Exhibition, seminar and CREST Consortium.

Recognising the impact of global events and pressures on the UK economy, CREST Business Awards focused its efforts in 2024 on raising funds for the charity it has supported since its inauguration, Surrey Wildlife Trust, including initiating a Charity Golf Day which raised £4,000 for SWT.

Carol said: “Our Charity Golf Day at the prestigious West Surrey Golf Club was a tremendous success led by Terry and we greatly appreciated the contribution to the day by international explorer and renowned environmentalist, Nick Hollis.”

Terry added: “The Golf Day was such a success that we have received numerous requests to continue holding them as well as running the numerous aspects of CREST Business Awards. The enthusiastic feedback is incredibly rewarding because we believe CREST Business Awards continues to have relevance and take pride in what we have achieved with the Institute for Sustainability and Centre for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Surrey to promote and enhance business sustainability for the environment and community.”

Nathalie Hinds, Director of Operations for the Institute, said: “Thank you to Carol and Terry for all the CREST Awards and all the work achieved to showcase Sustainability best practice in the Surrey region.

“The Awards were a fantastic platform for networking, learning and celebrating remarkable organisations which embrace purpose-driven practices and take accountability for sustainable development.”

The concept for the awards were first introduced to Terry, who was then Managing Director of Woking News and Mail, by Carol as the public relations consultant for the family-run publication.

“The work I had done with the newspaper had seen a steady increase in its readership and I introduced this proposal as it echoes my own business sustainability ethos, and encapsulated the interest and concerns about the environment voiced by the community through the newspaper,” Carol explained.

“Supported, initially by the CES team at the university, we soon realised the widespread appetite for the initiative, growing it from a West Surrey to Surrey-wide showcase for green business, supported by Surrey County Council. With the inauguration of the Institute for Sustainability, which is a hub for all environment and sustainable work at the University of Surrey, that support has increased.”

The not-for-profit has been free to enter from its inauguration, relying on business sponsorship and while the newspaper continued to support the awards in its coverage it was unable to maintain financial support.

However, though Terry and Carol remain committed to the work of the awards the ongoing business environment requires a much greater level of involvement than that Carol and Terry are able to provide, and together with increased family and health commitments it is sadly necessary for them to stand down.

In a message to their supporters on the CREST website, they said: “We would like to express heartfelt thanks to all who have supported us from inception – especially the teams at the Institute for Sustainability and Centre for Environment and Sustainability, our sponsors, Surrey Chambers of Commerce and of course all our entrants who have helped make this a fantastic and memorable journey.  We wish you all the best of luck continuing your ventures”