Chamber chair receives top national award

The chair of East Midlands Chamber has become the first in the country to be given a top honour by the British Chambers of Commerce.

At a recent ceremony in London, Kevin Harris was presented with the President’s Award, which recognises special contribution made to a chamber of commerce in the UK.

Across more than a decade working with East Midlands Chamber, Kevin’s long list of accomplishments for the region include getting more than 15,000 people into employment, more than 18,000 upskilled to meet the needs of recruiters and overseeing £48 million of support grants to grow businesses.

He said: “I’m absolutely delighted to receive this award, and it’s great to be its first recipient. It’s nice to win something that was voted for by the chamber network.

“Being part of East Midlands Chamber since its inception and seeing it grow and develop has been a privilege and this is recognition not just for me but for the whole team.”

Chamber chief executive Scott Knowles said: “Kevin’s work for East Midlands Chamber has been nothing short of exemplary and there are tens of thousands of people in across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire that have benefited from the sheer dedication he has given to impact their lives and the wider economy.”