Everyone’s a winner at NACFB’s Gala Dinner & Industry Awards
On 26th November the National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (NACFB) held its Annual Industry Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge in the heart of London. One of the few venues large enough to fit 780 guests into a ballroom, the Park Plaza has become the regular venue for this much-anticipated Gala Dinner. We haven’t found anywhere else that does it better.
On stage we welcomed a genuine Hollywood film actor in the form of stand-up comedian Omid Djalili, famous for appearing in such films as Shaun the Sheep, Pirates of the Caribbean, Gladiator and Notting Hill. Omid has starred in a NBC sitcom with Whoopi Goldberg, and had his own TV show over here too.
Music came this year from the Blondettes, billing themselves as the UK’s hottest vocal trio. Freya, Alice and Clare performed swinging re-imaginations of pop classics, from James Brown to James Bond to Beyonce. Our auction was hosted by the excellent impressionist and comedian Aaron James, and the generous sums bid are in no small part due to his commanding and engaging performance as auctioneer.
As every year, the event was really all about recognising the lenders who have been independently voted the most outstanding in their sector.
Here are the NACFB’s Industry Award winners for 2015:
• Business Bank of the Year: Lloyds Bank
• Specialist Lender of the Year: Funding Circle
• Small Lender of the Year: Liberty Leasing Plc
• Buy to Let Lender of the Year: Shawbrook Bank
• Motor Vehicle Finance Provider of the Year: Close Brothers Asset Finance
• Factor and Invoice Discounter of the Year: Bibby Financial Services Ltd
• Short Term Lender of the Year: Dragonfly Property Finance
• Leasing and Asset Finance Provider of the Year: Aldermore
• Commercial Mortgage Lender of the Year: Barclays Bank
• Outstanding Contribution to the Asset Finance Industry: Graham Wilcox
The NACFB’s chosen charity in 2015 was Cerebral Palsy Sport, the country’s leading national disability sports organisation supporting people with cerebral palsy to reach their sporting potential. Its stated mission is to improve quality of life for people with cerebral palsy and other physical disabilities through sport, physical activity and active recreation. The Association’s members raised an exceptionally generous £17,327 for the charity.
We’re very grateful to Shawbrook Bank for sponsoring the evening.
Adam Tyler, CEO of the NACFB, said:
“This was a night to look back with some pride not just at the past year but at everything that’s happened over the past eighteen months of regulation. It’s been a period of adapting to change and the figures show our members and patrons have thrived – bring on 2016!”