• Ascona shortlisted for a second Great British Entrepreneur Award, celebrating its philanthropic activities
• Nomination highlights Ascona’s commitment to high-quality customer service, operational excellence and its focus on supporting local communities
• Earlier this year, CEO Darren Briggs was nominated in the ‘Scale-Up Entrepreneur of the Year’ category at the prestigious awards
Ascona Group (‘Ascona’), the 7th largest UK independent forecourt operator and one of the fastest growing companies in Wales for the last three years, is pleased to announce that its CEO and Founder, Darren Briggs, has been shortlisted in the inaugural ‘Randal Foundation Entrepreneur of the Year Award’ category, sponsored by The Randal Foundation, at the 2024 Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards.
The new ‘Randal Foundation Entrepreneur of the Year’ category at the 2024 awards celebrates entrepreneurs whose business embodies The Randal Foundation’s core mission - to save lives, improve life chances, and contribute positively to local communities.
Ascona Group has been committed to supporting local communities since its inception, having set up The Ascona Foundation in 2020. The success of the Group over the years has enabled the team to support many charities in the areas in which it operates, with the Company having donated over £375,000 to local, national and community organisations since 2017.
This year, Ascona has also launched a new initiative with Pennies, the leading UK charity working to protect and grow micro-donations, that will see over £250,000 a year raised for Ascona’s charity partner the Wales Air Ambulance, taking Ascona’s total charitable donations to over £500,000 by the end of 2025.
In June, Darren was also nominated as a finalist at the Awards in the ‘Scale-Up Entrepreneur of the Year’ category, celebrating the achievements of the UK’s most dynamic and innovative businesses. This year’s shortlist showcases a combined turnover of nearly £2.9 billion and the businesses employ approximately 20,000 people, highlighting the critical role these companies play in driving economic growth and innovation, as well as supporting local communities.
The winners for each award will be announced at a ceremony at Grosvenor House in London on Monday, 18th November 2024.
Darren Briggs, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ascona Group, commented:
“It is a great honour to be named amongst the finalists in such prestigious categories at this year’s Great British Entrepreneur Awards. I am incredibly proud of Ascona and everything we have achieved over the years and this is another milestone for our business and the recognition is a testament to everyone’s hard work, commitment, and ‘Team Ascona’s ethos over the years.
“However, I am most proud of our charitable endeavors and the team’s commitment to giving back. It is something that is very close to my heart. We’re committed to supporting our various charity partnerships, including the Wales Air Ambulance this year, as we continue our extensive fundraising initiatives across the Group.”
If you are part of a new community project or are supporting an existing established charity / organisation, consider sending a request to giving@asconagroup.co.uk. The giving group meet every 6-8 weeks to evaluate all applications, and award donations of guidance or funding. More information is available on our funding & grant application pack which can be viewed and completed online at Ascona Group Funding and Grant Application Pack
