New Rob Burrow charity award to mark outstanding contribution by Yorkshire business

An honour named after the inspirational Rob Burrow is to be introduced at this year’s Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards.
The Rob Burrow Outstanding Contribution to Charity Award will celebrate the local company or individual which has done the most to help a good cause in the past year.

Mr Burrow died earlier this month at the age of 41 after a four-and-a-half-year battle with motor neurone disease, during which he helped raise millions of pounds for charity.

During his sporting career, the father of three won eight Super League titles with the Leeds Rhinos and following his death supporters and well-wishers laid flowers, tributes and shirts outside Headingley Stadium in memory of him.

With this year’s Excellence in Business awards taking place at the stadium, The Yorkshire Post events team believed it would be a fitting tribute to introduce a special award this year named after him to celebrate the best charitable achievements by a Yorkshire business.

His family were contacted about the idea and have given permission for his name to be used. They will be in attendance on the evening of the awards in November to present it to the winner.

Chris Burn, head of business and features at The Yorkshire Post, said the newspaper was hugely grateful to the Burrow family for supporting the concept of the award.

"Rob Burrow was an inspiration as a sportsman at Headingley and became a national hero for his subsequent charity work which has helped and will help so many people,” he said.

"To be able to honour his legacy while also highlighting charitable contributions by Yorkshire businesses and their staff when our annual business awards takes place in November will be very special.”

To make a nomination for this award or the other categories at the event, visit www.yorkshirebusinessexcellence.co.uk.

Entries close on October 7, with the awards taking place on November 21.

The black tie event will be hosted by BBC Look North’s Amy Garcia and is expected to be attended by more than 300 people from the Yorkshire business community.