Lucy Winskell is a lawyer who has branched out into most areas of North Eastern life. She is currently Chair of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership; Pro Vice-Chancellor of Northumbria University; Chair of Live Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne; a Trustee of the Tyne and Wear/Northumberland Community Foundation and a Trustee of the Centre for Life.

She previously served as Chair of the North East Industrial Development Board, NED of Government Office North East and Council Member of the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

She served as High Sheriff in 2015/16, was awarded an OBE in 2014 for services to the North East economy and to higher education, and was given the IoD Prize in 2016 for outstanding contribution to business in the North East and Yorkshire.

Ms Winskell lives in Gosforth, with her husband, John Molloy.

As no less than ten winners from the region celebrate their success this year, the Lord-Lieutenants of Durham, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear are looking for more companies to apply for 2022.

Sue Winfield, the Lord-Lieutenant of Tyne and Wear, said: “Despite an incredibly difficult year for everyone, the vast majority of businesses in Durham, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear have continued to provide vital services and jobs - and they deserve recognition.

“Winners can fly the Queen’s Awards Flag and use the award to demonstrate the quality of their services or products and their commitment to corporate and social responsibility, helping them to stand out against the competition. We would encourage all businesses to have a look at the awards process and have a go - it could make a huge difference.”

Previous winners have reported benefiting from worldwide recognition, increased commercial value, greater press coverage and a boost to staff morale. The deadline for submissions is midday on 8th September 2021.

Further details can be found at www.gov.uk/queens-awards-for-enterprise

The Queen’s Awards have run continuously since 1965 and recognise the outstanding achievements of UK businesses with separate awards for innovation, international trade, sustainable development and promoting opportunity for social mobility.

Winners hold the award for five years.  

The North East had a successful year in 2021 with eleven awards, including one double award.

One of the previous winners is Kromek Group plc of Durham.

Dr Arnab Basu, Chief Executive Officer, said: “We were honoured to receive the Queen’s Award for Enterprise last year following a period of significant international growth. Since winning the award, we have benefitted from the worldwide recognition it bestows, particularly in important markets in US and Asia. 

“The awards are among the most prestigious for UK businesses, recognising and encouraging cross-sector achievements in internationally significant trade and innovation.

They provide a valuable opportunity for us to raise awareness of the world-leading ingenuity and industriousness of our region, whatever the size of the organisation.”

A previous winner is Sterling Pharma Solutions, based in Dudley, Northumberland.

Kevin Cook, CEO, said: “We were honoured to receive the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2019 for international trade due to our 'outstanding' growth in overseas sales.

This is a great accolade for the business and our hardworking employees. Since then, we have doubled in size as a business; introducing two new facilities, one in the UK and one in the US.

We continue to work hard to grow our business and bring innovation to the global pharmaceutical industry.”

One of this year’s winners was The Skill Mill Limited, based in Gateshead, who won two awards for different categories.

Davie Parks, Chief Executive, said: “To be awarded two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise is recognition of the huge effort of all our staff and partners who have shown such resilience and fortitude in this past year to grow our services and increase our reach.  

COVID19 has impacted on young people in the labour market hardest and especially for those on the margins.

We are extremely proud of this achievement and will carry this title through our continued journey to increase opportunity and sustainability.

“I would recommend to everyone out there in organisations large and small to think about applying for an award - this could happen to you too!”