On the 11^th of June, HEAT attended a gala dinner at the Waterfront to celebrate the 12^th annual Big Tick Awards at Business in the Community. The company’s apprenticeship programme was entered for the talent award category and showed how the Apprenticeship scheme has been a success by helping local communities by increasing employment through apprenticeships and increasing the skills of young people.

Stephen Howard, Chief Executive, Business in the Community said: "I congratulate all the winners of a Big Tick this year. In the current economic climate it is fantastic to see so many strong examples of businesses that recognise the benefits, both social, environmental and to their bottom line, of being a responsible business.

The Big Tick is now recognised as both a valuable and difficult award to achieve. It means a company has demonstrated ways in which they positively make a difference to the environment, their workplace, the community or in the marketplace, in which they sell, advertise or trade.

Those who achieve the Big Tick are leading companies, ones that run their businesses aware that they depend above all on the talent, innovation and loyalty of their people. They know that they cannot build a successful sustainable business without constantly showing their commitment to being a better business."