THE annual Jersey Enterprise Awards highlight two important features of Island life. As their name indicates, the awards are about recognising the finest examples of the entrepreneurial talent which does so much to make this community tick. However, two of the awards focus not on the sort of expertise which drives commerce, but on the contributions made in the social sphere.

It was therefore appropriate that at Friday’s awards ceremony two of the most enthusiastic rounds of applause were directed at Barbara Frost, the winner of the Condor Ferries Community Award, and Trevor Rayson, representing the Band of the Island of Jersey, whose members were named as Guiton Group Ambassadors of the Year.

The audience of 800 who attended the gala event at Fort Regent heard that Mrs Frost has spent the past 20 years acting as a ‘grandmother’ to a host of young Islanders, telling them about the Occupation and reading Bible stories to them. She has also played a key role at the St Mark’s Hostel for young people.

The Band of the Island of Jersey, meanwhile, received much-deserved recognition for its many years of service in the Island and beyond. Its music has been much appreciated, but so, too, have the magnificent effort its members have made to project the Island’s image in other parts of the world.

The community dimension, of course, should not obscure the other recipients of awards. Businesses large and small were recognised not only for excellence which has contributed to their own organisational success, but also to the general economic well-being of the Island.

Acorn Mortgages, Cooper & Co, Jersey Trust Company and the Channel Islands Co-op were worthy corporate winners, as were two individuals who claimed places on the podium – Chris Clark of C5 Alliance and Bruce Robinson of the Larsen Group. Each of the winning organisations and individuals can take great pride in their achievements, but the significance of the awards is about far more than personal satisfaction.

As keynote speaker Lord Bilimoria and Economic Development Minister Alan Maclean both emphasised, entrepreneurial flair has long made Jersey a special place. It is, moreover, an even more special place because so many of the
enterprises which contribute to its prosperity belong to Island society in a sense which goes far beyond mere geographical location.