This month, the national Family Business of the Year Awards take place in London.

I am delighted that there will be 16 Cumbrian finalists, including all the winners and some of the runners-up of the Cumbria Family Business Awards.

Family Business United, the organisers behind these national awards, is run by Paul Andrews, a true champion of the family business sector.

It was an honour to help judge the national awards and should we see any Cumbrian winners, believe me, they will have fought off some of the country’s best family businesses.

Good luck to you all!

Last month more than 20 people visited Cumbria Family Business Award winners The Moody Cow at Allonby for an Insight Event held in partnership with Enterprise Answers.

Second generation owners Joe and Clare Hetherington are a great example of how investment and innovation can not only future-proof a business, but can also contribute to the wider world too.

The farm now generates over 80 per cent of its own electricity, which powers the farm, café and campsite.

Investment into more mechanised milking and even a robotic ‘poo shoveller’ have all helped stabilise and grow this well-liked family business on the west coast.

My thanks to them, Grahame Latus, of Enterprise Answers, and all who came for making it such a memorable event.

During May, Cumbria Tourism released record visitor figures for 2017. I hope the summer ahead is a strong one for our hospitality and tourism family businesses who like many have suffered a difficult start to 2018 because of the bad weather.

As my thoughts turn to future events, it really is an exciting time for family businesses with lots of learning and peer to peer support.

We will be launching into Lancashire on July 5 with our first insight event for the region taking place at Castle Industrial Supplies.

Then on into Yorkshire on July 11th, as well as a full 2018 schedule for Cumbria!