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Gareth: Why I'm backing Torbay Business Awards and local charities
Ocean BMW boss supports Rowcroft and Paignton Zoo - and adds touch of motors luxury to finals night
Gareth Wotton with Lisa Whittaker from Rowcroft
Reporter:
jim Parker
16 Apr 2025 1:58 PM
Email:
jim.parker@clearskypublishing.co.uk
Ocean BMW's Gareth Wotton believes in promoting business, partnership working and celebrating success.
Ocean BMW's Gareth Wotton believes in promoting business, partnership working and celebrating success.
That's why he is only too willing to add a touch of class at the glittering finals night for the Torbay Weekly Naturally Inspiring Business Awards.
Gareth will be making sure has a couple of top-of-the-range motors in prime position to welcome the finalists and guests as they arrive at the Riviera International Centre on Wednesday June 11.
It is something Gareth did at the launch of the Torbay Weekly's sister magazine Torbay Tomorrow at the Otto restaurant on Torquay harbourside.
The Head of Business at Ocean BMW says: "After many years of working in Torbay, the power of partnerships is one that I have always believed in, but it is even more crucial now. We are blessed with some incredible people and talent in the Bay and the more that we can all collectively do to harness and nurture that talent, then it can only benefit us all and the economy and community.
"Working with local businesses (Freedom Boat Club, Wetwheels, Torquay Watersports), charities (Rowcroft, Paignton Zoo), sports clubs (Torquay United, Torquay Tennis Club), restaurants (The Elephant), provides everyone with opportunities, adds value to events, creates networking opportunities, builds relationships, and makes the heart of this incredible area beat that little bit quicker."
Ocean BMW are also doing their bit to support local charities.
Gareth says: "With having both the BMW and MINI brands under my responsibility, I have a lot of different customers to try and keep happy, and as you would expect, this is a key focus area for the brands.
"I want to continue working with the community, as I have always tried to do, and so I have just launched a regular donation project with both Rowcroft Hospice and Paignton Zoo, two charities who I know mean a lot to you and are two huge pillars in the Bay.
"For every customer satisfaction survey that is completed for all of our Service visits we will donate £1 to Rowcroft for our BMW responses, and £1 for all our MINI responses to Paignton Zoo.
"We see between 15 to 25 customers per day, so the more of these customers who complete a survey (and they all get sent them, subject to GDPR preferences) then the more we can donate."
* Entries for this year's awards have topped the 100 mark but the message from Torbay Weekly editor Jim Parker is: "Please, don't let up now. There is still time to enter so keep those entries coming."
You can now also buy tickets and tables for the awards night. Just go totorbaybusinessawards.co.uk.
The awards have grown in size and stature since being launched three years ago. Now we are keen for even more businesses and their people to be saluted and recognised.
As before, you can enter a category as a business yourself. But now you can also nominate a business — and we will do the work for them. You nominate them and a member of the Torbay Weekly team will make contact with them to help with the application process. Just go online to torbaybusinessawards.co.ukto enter or nominate.
You will also will find all the categories and their criteria. Entries will close at midnight on Friday, April 25. A judging panel will sit to choose the shortlisted finalists of each category.
The finalists will be announced online and in paper on Thursday, May 15. They will go forward to the finals night.
This year’s sponsors
Torbay Council (headline sponsors and Overall Winner); Wollens (Best New Business); Newton Abbot Racecourse (Best Marketing Initiative); Stagecoach (Greener Futures award); English Riviera Bid Company (Tourism Company of Year); Princess Theatre (Rising Star Award); South Devon College (Inspiring Employer of Year); Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez (Commissioner's Business Community Champion); Torbay Business Forum (Small Business of Year); Majestic Holidays (The James Wright Award for Inspirational Leadership, or ‘Jimmy Award’); Sally Allen (Innovation); Inter-Line (Apprentice of the Year); Torquay United FC (Sport and Health and Wellbeing Business of the Year).
The Torbay Weekly Lifetime Achievement awards for contribution to business and the community will be announced on the finals night. The Overall Business of the Year will be chosen from across the category winners on the finals night and is not a category for entries.
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