Sharon has presented Julian Atkinson of JC Atkinson with the All-Party Parliamentary Corporate Responsibility Group’s Constituency Responsible Business Champion nomination award.

Each year, MPs are asked to nominate a local business to be their Constituency Responsible Business Champion for the year, which then go on to be shortlisted for the top award of Responsible Business Champion of the year. JC Atkinson did not get shortlisted, however they have been presented with a nomination award as Sharon’s Responsible Business Champion for 2017.  

This year Sharon recognised the long-standing work of JC Atkinson in providing an unrivalled service of manufacturing environmentally-friendly coffins and caskets built in Washington and exported across the world.

JC Atkinson has a track record of winning awards for their environmental work, alongside their community work which ranges from regional to national recognition and can now include the award of Responsible Business Champion.

The company also provided the environmentally-friendly coffin for Jo Cox, the former MP for Batley and Spen, who was tragically killed last year.

In recent months, Julian Atkinson and his team at JC Atkinson have been raising awareness and vital funds for coffin makers affected by the catastrophic floods in Bangladesh who they work with closely to provide people with environmentally-friendly coffins.

Currently, JC Atkinson have raised a total of £2,775 for the Bangladeshi coffin makers and people can donate to this cause and find out more by following this link to their Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/jcatkinson?ct=t(Just_Giving_Donation9_1_2017)

Following the presentation of the nomination award, Sharon said:

“It was an absolute honour to present Julian and his hardworking team at JC Atkinson with this nomination award which recognises the important work they do to provide people with alternative and environmentally-friendly coffins. This is a success across the world and just goes to show how impressive this company is when it is leading the way in this market.

“Yet, it was not just being a successful business that caught my eye, but also JC Atkinson important socially responsible work both here in the UK and across the world; most recently shown through their fundraising to help Bangladeshi coffin makers affected by the catastrophic floods that hit the country earlier this year.

“I’m delighted to have presented Julian and his team at JC Atkinson with this nomination and hope that they will be considered for the top prize in the future. They are a true local success story and I am proud to have them based here in Washington and Sunderland West.”  

Julian Atkinson, Managing Director of JC Atkinson, said:

“It is always great when our effort is recognised by others, been nominated for the award by Sharron Hodgson MP is an honour, we have all worked hard over many years to evolve the company which has a proven lowed environmental impact on our planet. We have a great story to tell and having this recognition helps with this, we have a great story to tell, this helps us win work and create jobs in Washington, team JC Atkinson are very proud to be nominated.”