Opendoorz Members Dominate at This Year’s Oxfordshire Business Awards

What a night! The Oxfordshire Business Awards rolled around again last week, and honestly, we couldn’t be prouder of how our Opendoorz members performed. The county’s biggest business celebration delivered as always, but this year felt extra special with so many familiar faces taking home the silverware.

Ben Thompson from Thompson & Terry Recruitment absolutely smashed it, winning SME of the Year. Anyone who knows Ben won’t be surprised – he’s incredible when it comes to client relationships and just gets how to build a proper business. So well deserved!

GHM Communications and Neil McManus picked up Large Business of the Year, which is brilliant news. They’ve been pushing boundaries in business communications for years now, so it’s great to see them get the recognition they deserve.

But the real standout moment? Susie Besant and the One Eighty team took home not one but TWO awards – Employer of the Year AND Business of the Year. As our Henley group’s chosen charity, we’ve seen firsthand the incredible work they do with young people. The standing ovation was completely justified.

Plenty of other Opendoorz members were in the running too. Ben Thompson actually made it as a finalist in another category (showing off now!), Oxford United in the Community got their nod for the amazing community work they do, and Blue Blood were finalists for their creative work.

Big shout to Vinny Kumar from Cherry Picked Residential as well – not only was he there supporting everyone, but he sponsored one of the main awards. Classic Opendoorz really, always giving back to the community.

The whole evening highlighted why the OXBA has become such a cornerstone of Oxfordshire’s business calendar. It’s not just about the awards – although they’re nice! – it’s about celebrating what makes our local business community tick.

Massive congratulations to everyone who won, all the finalists, and honestly just everyone who was there making it such a great night. Roll on next year!