Pictured at the Pride of Place Awards ceremony are representatives from Ferbane Food Campus along with Dr Christopher Moran, Chairman Co-operation Ireland, Tom Dowling, Chairman of the Pride of Place Committee and George Jones, Chairman IPB.

Top award for Offaly business

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Ferbane Food Campus was presented with one of the top awards in the all-island Pride of Place competition in Belfast at the weekend.

It took top place in category seven, which is for Community Business Enterprise Initiatives.

The Pride of Place competition is an all-island competition that acknowledges the work communities are doing all over Ireland.

Remarking on Ferbane Food Campus, the judges said: “This innovative winning entry evolved as a response to the loss of more than 1,200 jobs from the downsizing of two major employers in the area. They created a business park upon which the prime focus was producing food related products and providing employment and providing training opportunities for many more. This initiative is making a real difference!”
The Pride of Place awards are divided into three awards sections – the main, the cities and the special awards and during the evening a total of 53 awards were announced by TV personality Claire McCollum. The awards ceremony was hosted by Belfast City Council, with the Belfast School of Music, Streetwise Community Circus, Belfast Community Gospel Choir and The James Peak Experience providing the entertainment.

Two areas in Westmeath were also honoured at the awards. Moate won their category (population between 2,000 and 5,000), while Rosemount were joint runners-up in theirs - population under 300.

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