Birmingham business carer commitment has “shone through among the bleakness of 2020”, a judge for a top awards programme has said.

Anjum Khan, Director of the Asian Business Chamber of Commerce (ABCC), led the judging panel when they convened on Friday, November 6.

The former Woman of the Year at the English Asian Business Awards in 2018 helped determine the winners of this years’ Birmingham Carer Friendly Business Awards.

She was joined by BVSC Relationship & Contract Manager, Phil Done, Jeff Bryan, the Inclusion and Wellbeing Training Development Manager at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and Carer Sylvia Thompson.

After several hours of deliberating over the entries, the winners have been chosen and will be announced at a virtual awards ceremony on Thursday, November 26, which is also Carers Rights Day.

Anjum said: “I don’t think there’s one person on this earth who won’t agree that this year so far has been challenging and unsettling because of the pandemic. But, reading through the entries for this year’s Birmingham Carer Friendly Business Awards was actually very moving.

“Hearing what Birmingham businesses have been doing for the city’s Carers and how they have proven their commitment has shone through the bleakness of 2020. I look forward to helping to announce the winners later this month.”

Forward Carers CEO Simon Fenton said: “We only launched the awards last year and we’ve been bowled over with the success of the programme with more than double the amount of entries this year.

“Not only that, but the quality and commitment each submission has portrayed has been wonderfully heart-warming. Among the sadness and uncertainty that 2020 has come to represent, some of the stories that have been shared has reignited some much-needed hope and happiness across the team.”

This year there will be winners for the following awards, Carer Friendly, Carer Aware, Making a Difference, The Carers Champion and the Covid award for businesses, organisations and or individuals who have stepped up during the COVID-19 crisis for Carers throughout this period.

To attend the awards ceremony, click here.