Thursday September 23, 2021
Family firms across the UK are the very heart of the nation and as a family firm, Cawarden is delighted to be taking part in today’s National Family Business Day 2021.
Family firms come in all sizes and sectors and many have been around for hundreds of years, successfully passing from generation to generation. In fact, the oldest direct lineage family firm dates back to 1515, RJ Balson the butchers on the High Street in Bridport which is now in the 26th generation and clearly demonstrates that family firms have the ability to last successfully for generations. Family firms can be found the length and breadth of the UK and they are the fabric of the communities in which they operate, providing jobs, income, creating wealth and supporting communities.
As a sector, family firms really are the engine room of the UK economy with around 5 million family firms in the UK today providing more than 13 million jobs and accounting for around 25% of GDP. Clearly, the family business sector is a force to be reckoned with and one that deserves to be recognised.
We’re delighted to take part in National Family Business Day 2021 to celebrate the strength, diversity and contribution of the family business sector and the part we are all playing to make a difference in the crucial recovery of the UK.
“We are proud to be a family business and a caring workplace where people enjoy coming to work because of our culture and family values shared.
“From our humble beginnings in 1986, we’ve earned a reputation for delivery excellence working for public and private sector companies on projects spanning the length and breadth of the UK. But without our people – ‘The Cawarden Family’ – and their expertise, hard work and dedication we wouldn’t be able to achieve what we deliver every day. Over the last eighteen months in particular, they’ve embraced new ways of working, shown resilience and adaptability during such uncertainty and for that, I really do commend everyone and the part they have played to deliver on our promises with safety, quality and sustainability always at the fore.”
WILLIAM CROOKS
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Organised annually by Family Business United, the award-winning magazine and resource centre for family firms, the event is now in its eighth year and continues to grow year on year. As Paul Andrews, founder of Family Business United explains, “This is a real day to celebrate the family business sector, businesses at the very heart of the nation and across all sectors of the economy too. Every part of life on a daily business is supported by family firms from the food and drink we consume, to the places we visit, the hotels we stay in, the homes we live in and the products that we use such as cars, hospitals and gyms. This diverse sector deserves to be recognised and National Family Business Day is a great way to put the sector on the map.”
“The past couple of years has been far from easy but family firms across the UK have shown their strength and resilience, adapting to the changing circumstances in which they found new ways of working. Many have developed new routes to markets, new strategies and continued to invest in their businesses, be it through technology, people or processes. Family firms have responded well and demonstrated their entrepreneurial spirit and desire and passion to succeed.”
As Paul continues, “Family firms have a story to tell, a real narrative borne out of families working in business together, creating a legacy that will hopefully endure for generations. It is this that makes family businesses special along with the underlying values such as passion, drive, integrity and desire to do the right thing time and time again. It may not have been the easiest of years but a day focusing on the family business sector will provide a great opportunity to show our support for the sector.”
As Paul concludes, “FBU is all about the family business sector and it is a real privilege to champion family firms each and every day. Family firms are special, they are the backbone of the UK economy and will be for generations to come and we look forward to showcasing the diversity of the sector on National Family Business Day this year. They will also form an integral part of the recovery of the nation post pandemic and deserve all the support and recognition that a day like National Family Business Day brings.”
