I was so excited and proud to hear that we are finalists for the Sustainability Award within the Tandridge Business Awards 2025! I am delighted to have been nominated and to get our message out to a wider audience and shout about all the things we are doing here to make everything better for our long term future. Just being a finalist is wonderful but I don’t get to hear if we have won until mid October, but as I said to the panel of judges, getting this far is something to be proud of, and what matters is that others are also doing great things, so if we don’t win then that means others are doing great things too, which matters even more than winning. But I can’t lie: it would be nice to win!

The day to day slog; the feeling you aren’t making any progress; the constant demands for money with very little flowing back in, all make trying to do something new and different very challenging and requires a regular focus to dig deep to find within the courage and tenacity to continue. Hanging on for dear life to follow my gut instinct towards what I know to be right, despite all the daily challenges, has been, and still is, really tough at times but I have been very touched by the response of some friends and my family, to this little recognition that I am trying hard to do some good in this muddled, often messed up world. The overwhelming majority of people and businesses are still focused on short term gains, having too much stuff and remaining comfortable at all times, so the confirmation from a few who openly recognise my determination and commitment has been very gratefully received and warmed my heart beyond words.

This reminds me of the need for community. When times are tough, we need good friends who understand the challenges we face to help us find whatever it takes for us to find our way through the inevitable hard times. How do we find and create a community? I thought it would be easy but it actually is surprisingly difficult. We all have busy lives and there is very little spare time, but are we busy searching for the one thing most of us crave: to be amongst like minded and connected people? To be supported when times are challenging and to uplift others as they go through their tough times? To encourage each other to do the right thing rather than follow the majority. Or is it that when we are in groups, we are more likely to seek comfort, stuff and look through a short term lens? Perhaps that depends on the company we keep. I feel blessed and full of gratitude for having both loving and supportive family and friends. They all enrich my life and help me to steer this ship when the surrounding waters get choppy. Without their on-going support, I would never have achieved any recognition for a business sustainability award and would not have the opportunity to further spread the message on what we can all do to change and collectively make a difference to the whole. We are all in this together and it’s together that we can make a difference.