Nick Evans, a local businessman, Taekwondo instructor and resident of Royal Wootton Bassett was awarded ‘Businessperson of the Year 2019’ for medium sized businesses (10-50 employees) at the 25th Anniversary Wiltshire Business Awards gala presentation on Friday 10th May 2019. He was representing Safewell Ltd, Occupational Health and Safety Consultancy, which is based in Royal Wootton Bassett.
There was stiff competition from a very high calibre of businesses from all over Swindon, Wiltshire and the surrounding areas. Nick was a first-time entrant to the awards, having intended to enter in previous years. When the awards were being announced by Sharon Omer Kaye, Partner at RSM, she said the business person of the year had built their business around their own values of integrity, inclusivity and respect which comes from Nick’s 25 years of martial arts training.
Pictures from the Night.
Mr Evans and his Award
Safewell team
The Award
Congratulations
Tweet!
In the live tweets on the night Nick got a shout out for best speech of the evening! His speech will be posted on the Safewell Website under news.
Movewell
In May 2018 Nick was awarded his 5th Degree Blackbelt in Taekwondo.
Nick’s Background
Nick Evans has lived in Royal Wootton Bassett for nearly 40 years. He did all his schooling in the town and still has many of the friends he made at school. He started Taekwondo, a Korean martial art at 17 obtaining his black belt at 21. Following a chemistry degree at Exeter University he returned to the town and began working in health and safety and found a new vocational passion. In 2005 Nick was one of the youngest people to be awarded chartered safety practitioner status with IOSH (the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health) In 2007 he started Safewell Ltd and 13 years later it employs 16 people and is one of the biggest occupational health and safety providers in Wiltshire and surrounding counties. While all of this was developing Nick continued Taekwondo with PUMA Martial Arts and in 2013 bought the club he trained at from his instructor. Since then has continued running it as Movewell Taekwondo www.movewelltkd.co.uk in Royal Wootton Bassett. In May 2018 he was awarded his 5th Degree Blackbelt in Taekwondo. Alongside his 2 business Nick is one of the senior Taekwondo grades in PUMA Martial Arts and is part of their black belt promotions panel and the Tournament Coordinator.
About Safewell
The name Safewell originates from ‘Safety’ and ‘Wellbeing’. Between these two words all aspects of a person’s health and safety can be captured; Safewell offers a complete range of occupational health and health and safety services to meet the ever-changing commercial landscape.
The core of our business is built on sensible and pragmatic approach to the advice we give, and services delivered. We pride ourselves in an honest and friendly approach to what can be seen as complicated and hindering legal requirements. This is underpinned by expert risk understanding to give very relevant solutions to employee safety and health, and legal compliance.
We have worked with Safewell for many years and are retained clients, so we have developed an excellent working relationship with the team. However, this really came into its own when Covid 19 appeared.
As a Plumbing and Heating business, we were able to carry on working during the lockdown but only for responding to emergencies. We were obviously very concerned about the health and safety of our employees and before we even had chance to get in touch with Safewell, they had emailed us offering their assistance. It is hard to put down on paper how that made us feel - we like everyone else felt totally at sea, which way to turn, what to do? But Safewell were there guiding, supporting and being totally brilliant. Their attention to detail is very impressive and reassuring and we feel able to ask lots of questions without feeling silly.
During the pandemic Safewell helped us to write risk assessments, safety procedures and protocols. They kept in touch regularly, issuing new guidance as soon as it appeared and checking in with us. They held group Q&A sessions over Zoom which were helpful, and knowing other businesses were facing the same challenges and having the opportunity to discuss issues was invaluable. Their help during the preparation for a full return to work was brilliant, they enabled us to be fully prepared and feel in control, and when we had our first case of Covid within the team, because we had planned our response it felt ok.
I think our team felt very reassured by our robust approach and that our office was Covid secure. We are extremely grateful to all the team at Safewell
