The Chippendale International School of Furniture has been named winner of the prestigious Best Small to Medium Sized Business Award at the 2014 Best Business Awards.
The Chippendale International School in East Lothian is acknowledged as being one of the finest furniture design and restoration schools internationally and in 2015 will be celebrating its 30th birthday.
Each year the school takes some 20 students from around the world for 30-week immersive courses, cramming three years of study into less than one year. This year’s intake comes from the UK, Canada, USA, Italy, Trinidad and Tobago and Norway.
The school also offers incubation space on-site, so that graduating students can set up in business within the school, and have access to ongoing advice and specialist help – a practical way to ensure that students make a successful transition into full-time self-employment.
The school teaches age-old craftsmanship coupled with modern techniques, and aims to unlock students’ latent creativity. Former students can be found from Australia and Japan to the USA and Canada – and everywhere in between.
The BBAs pride themselves on having a large panel of over 20 independent expert judges who select winners according to strict criteria for each category and sector.
The Best Business Awards judges said:
“The Chippendale International School of Furniture, based near Edinburgh, has built up a global reputation and become the place to go for students from all over the world to learn about traditional and new methods of craftsmanship.
“What is interesting is that the not-for-profit organisation is funded by students’ fees, making it totally self-sufficient. Any surplus is reinvested in the business. By focusing on a niche area of education, The Chippendale International School has raised the profile of furniture design and enhanced the reputation of the UK as centre of excellence in woodwork and craftsmanship.
“The Best Business Awards are one of the UK’s highest profile awards and winning this accolade speaks volumes about the quality of your organisation. Due to its high profile, the Awards attract a wide range of entries from across all sectors from large international PLCs and public sector organisations to dynamic and innovative SMEs. The winners all have one thing in common – they are truly excellent at what they do and The Chippendale International School of Furniture has proved this by winning a Best Business Award.
”Anselm Fraser, principal of the school, said that “on behalf of the all of teaching staff, we are delighted to have won this award. For the past 30 years we have worked hard to build the profile of the school internationally and are proud to have launched the careers of so many people.”