We Won Highly Commended at the Cornwall Sustainability Awards!
We're absolutely thrilled to announce that Bridge Bike Hire has been awarded Highly Commended at the Cornwall Sustainability Awards! 🏆🌱
An Evening of Inspiration
The competition in our category was extraordinary. When you're up against winners like Goonvean Aggregates Ltd and runners-up like the legendary Lost Gardens of Heligan , you quickly realise the calibre of businesses leading Cornwall's sustainability movement. Our category was the most competitive of the evening, and honestly, we were overwhelmed by the incredible energy and enthusiasm filling the room.
Walking in, we were already in awe. Did you know that outside of London, Cornwall has the largest number of B Corp businesses in the UK? This speaks volumes about the people and organisations based in our beautiful county – we're truly leading the way in sustainable practices.
A Night of New Connections
We'd be lying if we said we thought we stood a chance against such inspiring competition! But that didn't matter – we quickly relaxed into this welcoming, energised group of people, sharing stories and being inspired by everyone we met throughout the evening.
When our category was called, we were surrounded by lots of lovely people we'd connected with, all excitedly swapping "good lucks" with our newfound friends. Then came the mortifying moment – my video played on the big screen! Mum screeched as she realised I'd managed to get her in there, and thankfully my daughter wasn't there to see her face appear too! Our fellow contestants (from all backgrounds) were wonderfully supportive, giggling and cheering along.
Embraced in this fun atmosphere, imagine our absolute shock when the first award – "Highly Commended" – was called out as Bridge Bike Hire! The crowd around us erupted in cheers as we made our way to the stage to collect our incredible trophy.
We stood to the side, still collecting ourselves, as our good friend and ex-Bridge Bike Hire team member ( AKA Family) Taff was called to the stage to collect the runner-up prize for Heligan Gardens, quickly followed by the worthy winners.
What This Means to Us
Before the ceremony, I was lucky enough to chat with one of the judges who'd assessed our application. His feedback was incredibly encouraging – they'd been really impressed with our ambition and what we've managed to achieve given the restrictions of our business, location, and self-financing whilst still needing to make a profit.
This recognition feels amazing and, if anything, I feel even more motivated than ever to expand our circular economy and spread the word. We want to show other bike hire businesses and companies across the country how these sustainable practices work – not just in an ideal world, but in a practical business environment too.
Incredible Businesses We Met
This feels like the perfect moment to share some of the fantastic businesses we encountered. Some won awards, some went home empty-handed, but everyone left with hearts full from being part of such a brilliant event:
Falmouth Food Co-op
We have to mention these incredible people, even though we didn't meet them on the night. Mum and I were absolutely blown away by what they've achieved. Four young people have created an online and local shop selling only sustainable products, acquired land to grow their own food – all amazing. But what really floored us? As an afterthought in their speech, they casually mentioned they've provided over 50,000 meals free of charge to people in the local community who can't afford to feed themselves. Their energy and achievements are truly inspiring.
Sasha Dench - Conservation Without Borders
https://www.conservation-without-borders.org/
I've heard Sasha speak before and it was a life-changing moment for me. If you ever thought the actions of one person make no difference, think again. I urge everyone to find out more about this amazing lady and the way she's created huge global change.
Chocolarder
Now, I might be biased (I'm a chocoholic!), but these guys were an amazing group of young people doing fantastic things with chocolate and waste products – like figs that had been soaked in gin by local gin makers. We thought they were wonderful!
99p Films CIC
We loved the two young ladies representing this local initiative of creatives sharing stories and improving wellbeing. A definite must for anyone looking for self-improvement or connection with something more meaningful.
Bella Whilm / Zoe
Bella was part of the 99p Films group and is a local artist. Her energy is fantastic and her work is beautiful – well worth checking out! Find her at @bellawhilm or @saltandcanvasstudio on Instagram.
No More Lids Ltd
How these guys didn't win just shows how high the standard was! This is an awesome product which we couldn't be more behind – one cup that makes a lid and is a sippy cup, and composts in 12 months. Please, can every café get these?
The Circular Mindset
https://thecircularmindset.co.uk/
We met these ladies where ladies always meet (if you're a lady, you know!) and hit it off straight away. They're working on a fantastic project up in Bude where coffee shops and cafés sign up to sell hot drinks in proper cups that can be handed in at any other coffee shop in the area. We loved the idea and suggested we introduce them to shops in our area when they're finished in Bude!
Our Only World
https://www.ouronlyworld.org.uk/
More than a few cheers went up for this lovely lady when she won her award. She's working in harbours across Cornwall, regenerating and creating environments to restore our sealife. Absolutely brilliant work!
Find Your Inspiration
So many worthy companies, and many of the winners are doing incredible things. If you're interested, here's a link to the Cornwall Sustainability Awards website where you can find links to all the finalists and winners. Get inspired for your own projects or offer support to those helping to lead the UK in sustainable practices!
Our Commitment Continues
We're deeply honoured to have been recognised alongside such inspiring organisations. This award validates our work on:
Creating innovative bike renovation systems
Reducing waste and shipping impacts
Building a circular economy with local businesses
Proving that sustainability and profitability can work hand in hand
Between our Bronze award for Accessible and Inclusive Tourism at the Cornwall Tourism Awards and now this Highly Commended recognition for Sustainability, we're more committed than ever to making Bridge Bike Hire a leader in both accessible and sustainable tourism.
Thank you to everyone who's supported us on this journey. Here's to continuing to make Cornwall proud! 🌟
📞 Call us: 01208 813050
📧 Email: info@bridgebikehire.co.uk
🌐 Visit our website: www.bridgebikehire.co.uk
The Bridge Bike Hire Team
