A leading private care provider is in the running to be named one of the best rural businesses in the UK after being shortlisted for a regional Rural Business Award.

Swallowcourt will battle it out against fellow rural businesses, entrepreneurs and enterprises from across the region for a place at the national final. The regional final will be held virtually in October 2021, with the National Final taking place early next year.

Swallowcourt operate six nursing and specialist residential homes situated within some of the most beautiful settings in Cornwall. The homes are well appointed and maintained.  Each home is managed by talented and experienced professionals who lead dedicated, passionate, and highly trained nursing and care teams, caring for over 200 individuals at any time.

With over 400 employees, Swallowcourt prides itself on its commitment to supporting, nurturing, and caring for its staff so they are well placed to provide the highest level of care to the residents they are privileged to support.

Due to the geographical location of their homes in West Cornwall, Swallowcourt faces the significant challenges associated with rural recruitment, but with a commitment to investing in the communities in which they work, Swallowcourt offers a variety of career progression opportunities and embraces a culture of ‘growing their own’ staff.

Over the last 18 months despite the unprecedented challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, Swallowcourt has implemented and reaped the rewards of a profound change in its culture, promoting involvement and inclusivity and committing to above industry standard investment in our staff to ensure the delivery of the very highest standards of care.

The Rural Business Awards 2021/2022, in partnership with Amazon, will mark the Awards’ seventh year of celebrating the success of businesses across the UK’s rural economy. The Awards are organised by rural business for rural business with the aim of celebrating the achievements of rural businesses and developing a strong network for rural business owners.

Speaking after being shortlisted for an award, Leah Marsh, Managing Director of Swallowcourt said:

We are honoured to be acknowledged in this way, but we are continually humbled by and incredibly proud of dedication, commitment and tenacity of the staff teams working tirelessly across our Swallowcourt Homes, maintaining the highest standards of care and support in the face of adversity”.  Leah continued by saying “We appreciative being short-listed, it is a testament to the frontline staff working across the sector for Health & Social Care to be recognised in this way, particularly the acknowledgement of our unique rural positioning”.

Director and Co-Founder of The Rural Business Awards, Jemma Clifford, added: “We are excited to celebrate the 2021/2022 awards after such a challenging year for businesses. We are passionate about creating a nurturing environment where rural businesses can develop, and this starts by showcasing the great work they do. On behalf of everyone at the Rural Business Awards, we want to say well done to Swallowcourt and wish them luck ahead of the regional finals.”

The Rural Business Awards is the brainchild of Leicestershire businesswomen Anna Price and Jemma Clifford, who wanted to showcase the wealth of entrepreneurial talent in rural areas of Britain.

The Awards are organised by rural business for rural business, with winners in the 13 categories – ranging from Best Rural Start-up and Best Rural Diversification Project; through to Best Rural Professional Services Business and Best Rural Innovation – decided by an independent panel of judges drawn from the rural business sector, rural public sector agencies, and rural charitable organisations.

The Rural Business Awards is hosting a series of regional finals in the North, East, Midlands, South West, Wales and Northern Ireland, throughout October 2021, ahead of the National Final next February.

To find out more about Swallowcourt, go to www.swallowcourt.com or to learn about the Rural Business Awards visit www.ruralbusinessawards.co.uk