Small businesses across the UK have been awarded for their charity work and community support.

Chevening Financial has been announced as the winner of the Small Business Big Heart award for an eight year programme supporting the local community by taking housebound pensioners shopping and socialising.

The awards were run by Businesses For Sale, who had to announce extra awards to some finalists due to the unexpected nationwide support.

“We were confident the small business community would provide plenty of examples of how they help worthy causes, but even we were overwhelmed with the volume and exceptional quality of entries,” said Rufus Bazley, director of marketing for Businesses For Sale. “Because of this judging has been incredibly hard and we felt compelled to award four additional finalists with additional accolades.”

Other award winners included Winchester’s Trilby A Hair Academy for offering training to those who don’t have access to qualifications and for offering free cuts to the homeless.

Chevening Financial’s MD, David Hawes-Gatt, gain particular recognition for arranging outings for a group of older women.

“David goes out of his way to be helpful and puts smiles on our faces,” said David’s ‘lovely, lively ladies’. “Some weeks, if I didn’t get picked up, I wouldn’t see another soul”.

The charity work began when they teamed up with local charity Imago.

“It was our first footstep in helping others and a great experience too,” said David Hawes-Gatt. “Initially we did all kinds of things but I gravitated towards taking people out in a minibus.”

Since then, David has clocked up 4,000 miles arranging days out for his ladies, including Christmas lunches, cream teas and trips to the seaside for a group of older women.