2nd October 2007

Bradgate Bakery is leading the way – and that’s official! The Leicester based company, which produces more than one million sandwiches per week for a major retailer and Ginsters, has beaten off dozens of other contenders in the Midlands to be named a Leading the Way 2007 regional winner, and so will take its place at the grand final of Remploy’s prestigious awards ceremony to be held later this month.

Remploy is the country’s leading provider of employment services for people with disabilities and health conditions, and runs annual accolades to recognise and reward the outstanding contributions made by employers and individuals in the recruitment and employment of disabled people.

Bradgate Bakery, part of the Samworth Brothers group, has won the ‘medium business’ category (101 to 1,000 employees) in the Midlands and now joins a select band of other companies and organisations throughout the UK to compete for the national title at the Victoria Park Plaza Hotel in London on the 15th October 2007. Just one organisation will then be selected from all the category winners and named Remploy’s Leading the Way national winner for 2007.

Presenting the regional award, Remploy’s John Hounsham said, “It was clear to our independent panel of judges that those leading the way within Bradgate Bakery do so with conviction and, as a result, disabled people who would otherwise face barriers to employment are now able to work equally alongside other colleagues.”

On behalf of her colleagues, Rachel Walford from Bradgate Bakery said “It’s a great honour to collect this award on behalf of the managers who had work trials in their departments. Bradgate Bakery is proud to provide positive work experiences that will enable people of all abilities to find sustainable employment.”

The main speaker at the Leading the Way final will be Michael McGrath, disability champion for Hilton Hotels and the only disabled person to have conquered both the North and South Poles. Millionaire entrepreneur Richard Farleigh, former star of the BBC2 Dragons’ Den TV show, will present the awards, which are being run in association with The Times newspaper.

John Hounsham added, “Our Leading the Way Awards are now in their 11th year and are going from strength to strength. The calibre of entries this year has been extremely high and I congratulate Bradgate Bakery for demonstrating to other employers the benefits of a diverse workforce.”

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