ARCHANT Herts and Cambs, newspaper and magazine publisher is sponsoring a new category for this year as part of its commitment to the continual success of The Hunts Post Huntingdonshire Business Awards. The Hunts Post was the instigator of these awards,

ARCHANT Herts and Cambs, newspaper and magazine publisher is sponsoring a new category for this year as part of its commitment to the continual success of The Hunts Post Huntingdonshire Business Awards.

"The Hunts Post was the instigator of these awards, but, as chairman, I did not think it was right for the newspaper, which already had its name associated with the event, to sponsor a category," said Paul Richardson, publisher for Cambridgeshire

"However, it has become increasingly clear that as the parent company Archant expands, its name needs to be more widely known, particularly in areas where it has businesses to be proud of."

"For that reason, it was decided that Archant Herts and Cambs would devote its own money, as well as the time and effort already put in by Hunts Post staff, into supporting these awards. One reason was awareness, another was to help us see what life was like as a sponsor and, thirdly, as we, as a company, become more involved in organising and promoting these events, it clearly links our activities together and enables us to create new partnerships.

"I was particularly pleased to be offered sponsorship of the New Business category, because new business is the spark for any healthy local economy, no matter how big or small or what area of business it is.

"Fortunately, we have many business start-ups and lots of businesses looking to move into Huntingdonshire, so it will be great to capture that and reward that investment in the area I call home.

"There is no doubt this will be a very interesting category, and I expect the entrants to be many and varied. One thing I do know, having been involved in these awards for so long, is that our judges will do an outstanding job of looking through, short-listing, and eventually deciding who takes the top accolade. These awards are highly coveted and rightly so."

INFORMATION: Archant Herts and Cambs is one of the regional divisions of Archant, the UK's largest independently-owned regional media business. Archant is a community media company active in the fields of regional newspaper and magazine publishing, contract printing and internet communications. All its titles serve clearly defined communities, based around locations or interest groups. For further information on the newspapers and magazines published by Archant Herts and Cambs visit www.cambs24.co.uk