Roofing firm wins first Quaywest business awards

THE winner of the first Quaywest Business Awards, as voted for by listeners of West Somerset’s only commercial radio station, was Chapel Roofing and Building Services Ltd, of Carhampton.
The station received nearly 2,000 valid votes for the awards, which attracted 27 entries from all over West Somerset.
The award was presented to Jason and Emma Cobbett, of Chapel Roofing, at a special presentation evening held in Minehead Football Club, when local MP Ian Liddell-Grainger was the guest of honour.
The presentation evening was also one of West Somerset’s largest networking events for local businesses.
The occasion was compered by Quaywest presenter Drew Haddon, and a charity auction was conducted by auctioneer John Addicott which raised several hundreds of pounds to be shared between the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Devon and Somerset Air Ambulance, and the Somerset Fire Service benevolent fund.
Everybody who registered a vote for their favourite local business was entered into a draw to win a murder mystery evening with the West Somerset Railway, while guests on the night were in with a chance of winning a meal for two in Reeves Restaurant, in Dunster.
As well as the Quaywest award, Jason and Emma Cobbett also received a 30-inch plasma screen Panasonic television, a month’s free advertising on the radio station, and a year’s advertising on the boarding around Minehead’s football pitch.
Other businesses which entered the awards were Aquasplash Leisure Centre, Webberbus, The Lighting Company, Minehead Computer Services, Stuart Lowen quality butcher, Natalie Poat travel counsellor, Ekos Kitchens, Dunkery Beacon Hotel, Penny Pine Ltd, Glenmore Café, Blondies, Chives delicatessen, Alan Harman Car Sales, Morris Carpets and Beds, Minehead Glass, Babys First, Corner House Stores, Willows Café and Gifts, Friday Print, West Somerset Motors, Trenz, The Shoe Centre, Cream, Blue Anchor Bay Garage, Cornerstone Projects, and Antlers Pet Supplies.
Quaywest sales executive Gerry Baxter told The Crier: “It was a brilliant night and enjoyed by everybody, including the senior management from our parent company Laser Broadcasting who attended.
“The awards help to support the businesses we have here in the Quaywest 102.4 and 100.8 fm catchment area and they give some recognition to those which do well and are highly regarded by their customers.”

• Our photograph shows (front) MP Ian Liddell-Grainger flanked by award winners Jason and Emma Cobbett, with (left to right) Stuart Linnell, of operations director of Laser Broadcasting, and Chapel House Roofing workers Karl Priddle and Chris Thorne, and (rear, left to right) Quaywest presenter Paul Green, sales staff Gerry Baxter, Berny McLoughlin, and James Taplin, and station manager Dave Englefield. Photo by Mark the Photographer, ref TCP0059. Order image reprints online at www.tcpbymtp.co.uk.

Promises made for CLOWNS and HomeStart charity auction

AN auction of promises is to be held at Minehead Barbarians Rugby Club on Friday, May 18, to raise funds for West Somerset charities CLOWNS and HomeStart.
CLOWNS needs the funds to replace its aging blue playbus.
The auctioneer for the evening will be John Addicott, of Chanin and Thomas.
Some of the promises which have been donated include bull semen, a car wash, a day with an Exmoor Ranger, 12 months of advertising in The Crier, and an offer to sell a house without charging any commission.
CLOWNS provides a service for parents and/or carers and also children in rural isolation and areas of need within West Somerset.
A double deck bus has been converted for play and is used to offer recreational and educational facilities as it travels around the district.
There is also a smaller vehicle which takes equipment for Tumbling Toddler sessions to village halls and is used during the school summer holidays to run play schemes in villages and to take toys from the charity’s toy library to isolated communities.
It also collects clean, safe, salvaged materials from businesses for use in the CLOWNS Scrapstore.
The Playbus also carries information on a range of related services, and helps to maximise the impact of visits by working with other agencies which require rural community access.

• Pictured above at the Dunster Castle launch of the CLOWNS promises auction are (left to right) Kathy Morton, local MP Ian Liddell-Grainger, auctioneer John Addicott, and The Crier’s sales and marketing consultant Dudley Seale. Photo by Mark the Photographer, ref M030030. Order image reprints online at www.tcpbymtp.co.uk.