Club Hub Event and Awards 2024
Celebrating Success in the Children's Activities Sector
Morton Michel's Business Development Manager, James McDonald, was recently a member of the judging panel for the national Club Hub Awards - the only awards for children’s activity providers with entry by application form only and no voting. The judges were invited from a range of industry backgrounds and brought invaluable expertise, experience and insight to the process.
"I had a fantastic experience being a judge for this year's Club Hub Awards. The quality of the nominees was unbelievably high, making the process of scoring them very difficult. As I read through each of them, the innovation and passion on display was evident and it’s one of the reasons I and everyone at Morton Michel enjoy working with the children's activities sector so much. A huge thank you to Tessa & Emma for welcoming me into the judging team this year and a heartfelt congratulations from all of us at Morton Michel to each nominee and winner!" - Morton Michel's Business Development Manager, James McDonald
The judges were asked to assess and shortlist finalists based on their commitment to excellence, innovation and growth, demonstrated through their business performance, achievements, brand values and passion for what they do. The awards were offered across 16 categories. 86 finalists were shortlisted from 315 applications, representing 165 Club Hub member businesses. The following businesses picked up awards:
Nicholas Clement - Chi Education
Start-Up Business of the Year
Kristine Monaghan - Children's Activity Business Academy
Supplier of the Year
Corinna Bordoli and Léa Henry - CocoRio
Leader of the Year
Lucy and Steve Fitzgerald - Cricket tots
Family Business of the Year
Rachel Peebles -Estrellas Brillantes
Franchisee of the Year
James Cutting - Football Fun Factory
Entrepreneur of the Year
Anni Rhodes-Steere - Head2Head Sensory Theatre
Non-Profit Business of the Year
Anna Neville - Kidslingo
Franchise of the Year with more than 15 franchisees
Plantasia Tropical Zoo
Attraction/Venue of the Year
Emma Gardener and Lorna Eccleston - Story Rangers
Independent Business of the Year
Claire Munday - Tappy Toes
Biggest Growth of the Year
Julie Barber - TechyTots Ltd
Franchise of the Year with up to 15 franchisees
Carrie Ann Booth - The Science Booth
Marketing Pop Star
Julie Hetherington - TinyTalk SouthWest Birmingham & North Worcestershire
Lifetime Achievement
Fatema Zahra Meghjee - Tots Play Birmingham South Central
Solo Star of the Year
Catherine Blackmore - WestWay School of Performing Arts
Community Champion of the Year
Around 200 children’s activity providers gathered at the Macdonald Burlington Hotel, Birmingham on Saturday 11 May for the Club Hub Event 2024 to celebrate the awards and take part in a full day of personal and professional development, tailored to the sector. 12 workshops were offered, covering a range of business topics from finance, business strategy, inclusion, to hypnosis for success! The keynote was delivered by Caprice Fox, speaker, educator, EDI trainer and facilitator. Caprice shared her experiences as a black queer mother and was joined by Ruth Butler from Representation Matters, for an engaging Q&A and fireside chat. This session was key to Club Hub’s commitment to raise awareness of anti-racist practice in the children’s activities sector.
“Huge Congratulations to our 16 2024 Club Hub Award Winners. It was so amazing to see you all at the Club Hub Event and celebrate your achievements. Please take this opportunity to sit back and reflect on all your hard work. The children’s activities industry is an incredible sector to be part of.”
Tessa Day, Founder and Director of Club Hub UK
Please note, the information in this article is provided by Club Hub UK and does not represent the views or opinions of Morton Michel.