Celebrating the best in business across the region, the North West Business Awards, organised by City Centre Initiative and Derry Chamber, took place in the City Hotel last week. Sponsored by Bank of Ireland, the awards showcase the industrious spirit of the region’s businesses and entrepreneurs.

Dozens of winners across multiple categories were recognised for their entrepreneurial success, with the evening’s top honour, the Brilliance in Business Award, going to Millennium Forum. Opened in 2001, Millennium Forum is located in the heart of the city’s historic centre and plays a vital role in impacting on culture, community, and business. A recent study reports that Millennium Forum contributed a massive £16.2 million to the North West economy in 2023. The Forum’s award-winning team delivers a wide range of education, outreach and access programmes across the North West region throughout the year, as well as hosting world class conferences via its state-of-the-art facilities.

The Millennium Forum Team

The North West Business Awards strive to ensure that meaningful and topical work is recognised, and is shown through the recipient our North West Business Hero Award, Declan Moore. Declan’s business, Claude’s Café on Shipquay Street, has acted as a shining example of promoting men’s health in a safe and friendly environment. Closing to the general public for a period of time so that men can come to sit and talk about what is going on in their lives, the café serves as a safe space where individuals can feel comfortable in opening up and talk about how they’re feeling.

Indeed, Men’s Health Week has taken place this week, which aims to raise awareness of preventable health problems that disproportionately affect males as well as encouraging men to gain more confidence in looking after their health. Men’s mental health is an area that is particularly subject to harmful stigma, but this key societal issue is one that is being embraced by Claude’s Café. Declan received the North West Business Hero Award as it celebrates the unsung champions of the business world who go above and beyond to make a positive impact in their communities.

Declan Moore receiving his award

We at the Chamber are delighted that the work of the Millennium Forum, Declan’s work in the local community, and the entrepreneurial success of all the night’s winners were rewarded at this year’s North West Business Awards.

See the full list of winners and the photo gallery from the night here: North West Business Awards – Photo Gallery – Londonderry Chamber