Parkes Phoenix Editor

After a busy submission period, entries for The Boscars Business Awards closed last month. Since then the independent judges, seven business leaders from around the State, have been assessing and scoring the entries according to criteria set by the NSW Business Chamber.

We would like to say a big thank you to all who entered, feedback from the judges is that the standard of entries was excellent and every entrant should be very proud of their submission and their business. This is particularly notable given this is the first time the local Forbes awards have been aligned with the NSW Business Chamber awards and judged according to their benchmark standards and criteria.

It is now time to announce the finalists, those who scored highly in their category and are in the running for the award. The finalists for each category are as follows, listed in alphabetical order.
Excellence in Business Ethics**
• Acheson’s Home Timber and Hardware
• Anytime Fitness Forbes
• Central West Glazing
• Forbes Preschool
• HE Silos Forbes
• Tyreright Forbes
Excellence in Innovation**
• Forbes Learning Ladder
• HE Silos Forbes
Excellence in Small Business (under 20 employees)**
• Central West Glazing
• Forbes Preschool
• Forbes Small Engine Specialists
• Green Homes Australia Lachlan Valley
• John Davis Motors Forbes
• Life Pharmacy Forbes
• McCarron Cullinane Chudleigh
Excellence in Business (20 or more employees)**
• Flannery’s Pharmacy
• Forbes Learning Ladder
• Forbes Medical Imaging
• HE Silos Forbes
Employer of Choice**
There was one entrant in this category who qualified for finalist status, so they will be announced on the evening as the winner.
Apprentice or Trainee of the Year
• Dylan Hennock, Forbes Smash Pty Ltd
• Grace Quirk, Woolerina
• Tahlia Toohey, Forbes Learning Ladder
Employee of the Year
• Craig Dwyer, John Davis Motors Forbes
• Beryl Milton, Forbes Learning Ladder
• Chenoa Sanderson, Bernardi Group
• Amy Shine, Forbes Preschool
• Amanda Stibbard, ANZ
• Amy Townsend, Anytime Fitness Forbes
Young Entrepreneur (age 18 – 35)**
• Adam Chudleigh, McCarron Cullinane Chudleigh
• Jamie Brown, Central West Glazing
• Jason Hopkins, Green Homes Australia Lachlan Valley
• Samantha Leonard, Forbes Smash Pty Ltd
• Gabrielle Miller McMillan, News on Rankin
Business Leader of the Year (age 36+)**
• Justin Roylance, Roylance’s Auto One
• Amy Shine, Forbes Preschool

** Winners of these categories proceed as a finalist to the 2017 Western NSW Business Awards, subject to meeting the terms and conditions of the NSW Business Chamber.

The overall winner, Business of the Year, will be awarded to the most outstanding business which has demonstrated excellence across all areas of operation, selected from the winners of all categories.

Christmas is not far around the corner and the members of Rotary in Forbes invite you to make and decorate a Christmas tree or create a Nativity scene for exhibition at their community Christmas Tree Festival to be held at the Forbes Town Hall, in December, with the grand opening to be held on Friday 2nd December. There are no size
restrictions, with your nativity or tree being any size you like. Trees can be commercially bought or could be a tree in a pot or in a bucket full of wet sand or a painted gum branch. There is a $5 entry fee and all money raised will support local Rotary Ipomoea projects. For further information, contact Mrs Sue-anne Nixon, President of
Forbes Rotary Ipomea on 02 6851 4930.

Also the Forbes Community Carols by Candlelight will be held on Sunday December 4th at 7pm. So start getting creative and get in the Christmas spirit.

Last Thursday the Forbes Services Memorial Club held it’s annual Cheque Presentation Ceremony where more than 36 Community Groups were presented with in excess of $80,000 sponsorship through ClubGRANTS program. Giving back to the community which supports the Club is very important and something that Club Manager, David Fitzgerald, and the Club’s Board of Directors are extremely passionate about.

David said in the twelve years he had been with the club this is the highest amount given out to local organisations.
Each year local community organisations, sporting groups, and charities that make a difference in the local area are recognised and rewarded for their efforts through the program. In addition to this generous sponsorship the club also provides meeting facilities to organisations for their regular meetings free of charge.

ClubGRANTS is broken into two categories and Category 1 recipients included: Lachlan Legacy, Torch Bearers for Legacy, Forbes North Public School Breakfast Club, Forbes High School Support Unit Schools Spectacular, Red Bend Catholic College Art Therapy Program, Forbes State Emergency Services, Forbes Rural Fire Service, Camp Quality, Forbes Basketball Association, Havannah House, CanAssist and Forbes Shire Council Youth Week activities. Forbes Rugby Union Club, Forbes Senior Cricket, Bedgerabong Picnic Races, Forbes Sports Person of the Year Association, Forbes Country Music, Forbes Golfers Association, Lachlan Valley Community Radio, Forbes Eisteddfod, Sculpture Forbes, Red Bend Junior Rugby League, Forbes Picnic Races, Forbes Diggers Swimming Club, NSW Small Wine
Makers Show, Forbes Aboriginal Community Working Party, Forbes Camel Races, Forbes Rodeo, Forbes Junior Cricket, Forbes Australia Day Activities, Forbes Cup and Forbes Diggers Harness Racing Club were all grateful recipients of the Category 2 grants.

In addition to the grant program the following organisations received the profits from the monthly Community Chest Charity Raffles: CanAssist, Torch Bearers for Legacy, Forbes Basketball Association, Forbes Rural Fire Service, Forbes State Emergency Service, Jemalong Residential Village, Mater Aged Care Service, Red Bend Junior Rugby League, House With No Steps and Forbes Auto Sports.

The next round of grants opens soon and clubs who would like to be part of the Community Chest Charity Raffle are advised to apply at the club.

By Anita Morrison

Shannon Birmingham, from Forbes Central Butchery, was crowned Central West Continental and Australian Lamb Sausage King for 2016 in Bathurst on the weekend. Shannon and his team travelled to Bathurst on the weekend to take part in the Sausage King & Best Butcher’s Burger Competition. The competition was run by the Australian Meat Industry Council, with competitors coming from all over the state to participate. In Shannon’s categories, Continental Sausages and the Australian Lamb category there were at least 50 competitors in each.

Shannon managed to win both sections and they have won the Central West division for the past four years,
over the five years that they have been attending. Shannon will be selling these sausages both in his store and also on his runs out to Parkes and around the Forbes area. He is still experimenting with some new and different
flavours and these include cheesebburger, wild tomato and pepper, hawaiian, lamb curry and many more. The meat that Shannon uses in his sausages is sourced from Breakout Meats, Cowra. It is great to have a win like this particularly when Forbes has been under so much stress with the floods.

Having owned the Shell Forbes for just over 12 months, owner Charanject Singh Bhamra has already made some important changes. New pumps have been installed for all types of petrol, with diesel pumps now being under cover for the first time. These new pumps meet the standards laid down by EPA, as well as being faster, more accurate, and require little maintenance. Should a spill occur, the spill now goes into the sump instead of going into any drain
which will save our environment in case of any major spill.

Singh said: “With this investment, it shows our commitment to Forbes and the community as we strive to provide a better level of service, with all staff who work in the store, being locals. We have maintained our driveway service for all cars who require petrol under the canopy, in addition to carrying a range of new products for our customers.

We also have plans to build up the takeaway side of the business by extending the area of the current shop and we are already underway with this process. With many offers available, including the Bernardi’s offer which entitles any purchaser to receive a 4c a litre discount with the provision of a Bernardi’s docket, and the offer of a 1c a litre off any purchase of 200 litres of any type of fuel, we believe that we offer very competitive rates across the Forbes area.”

Call in and say hello to Singh, Paul, Amanda and the team at the Shell Forbes.