Elektec, based in Darwen, were crowned the 2022 winners of the Best Grassroots Social Impact North West Family Business Award.

The North West Family Business Awards champion family businesses across the North West, recognising their achievements and celebrating their successes. The 2022 Award ceremony was held on Friday 13th May at the Rum Warehouse, Titanic Hotel, Liverpool.

It was actually East Lancashire Hospice who nominated Elektec for the award. Leanne Green, Fundraising and Lottery Team Leader,  stated “Carl & Charlotte Knowles are amazing people inside and out. Their commitment to supporting their community it incredible, with nothing ever being to much to support.They have both supported East Lancashire Hospice for many years through offering FREE pat testing in all of our retail shops and the main hospice, this itself saves the hospice thousands of pounds each year.

They have both been heavily involved with supporting any fundraising campaigns and most recently sponsored the hospice's Sunflower Memory Garden. By sponsoring this campaign, it enabled the hospice to raise the maximum funds needed to care for patients in our community.Most recently, Charlotte supported our Darwen charity shop by creating a more friendly 'kids corner' - this makes our shop look more colourful and appealing to people walking past and encourages footfall in the shop.

Carl & Charlotte own Elektec and we are extremely proud to have them as supporters of East Lancashire Hospice.”

Category judge, Martin Rankin, Commercial Business Development Manager at Cumberland Building Society, said “This is a hugely impressive family business with a fantastic story, and one where all the team show a clear desire to support their local community across a wide range of initiatives. With a company ethos to ‘do good and good will be done to you’ “.

Managing Director of Elektec, Carl Knowles, said “We were completely shocked but extremely grateful to learn that the hospice team had nominated us for an award.Elektec has built fantastic relationships with all the hospice staff and we support them whenever and however we can". 

Finance and Business Communications Manager, Charlotte Knowles, said “We are overwhelmed to have won this award.Myself and Carl are very lucky to employ a team of diamonds, as well as having ongoing support from the local community and our wonderful clients. We want to thank the hospice for giving us this opportunity”.