The BVRLA has named five individuals who are setting standards for others to follow at its annual awards dinner.

(L-R) Lee Hamlett, Jacky Brown, Chris Chandler, Ella Marsden, Nina Bell

Held last week, the event brought together individuals from across the organisation’s  membership to celebrate the contributions of the industry and resilience shown in recent years.

Opened by outgoing chairwoman, Nina Bell, the event gave the 750+ delegates a chance to reconnect with colleagues and forge new relationships in a physical capacity, before later being entertained by top comedian, Rob Beckett. Donations were collected all evening for automotive charity Ben, raising thousands of pounds to support its work.

Updating attendees on the BVRLA’s work, Nina Bell said: “From a government relations perspective, I can tell you that we are well and truly in a post-pandemic environment, with an unprecedented number of consultations and discussions with policymakers.

“Thanks to a huge amount of input from members, BVRLA activity achieved great things last year, including the securing of £620m for targeted plug-in grants & charging infrastructure, while successfully lobbying for a fleet-friendly 2035 Phase-out delivery plan too.”

The event also saw the BVRLA name its three peer-nominated Industry Heroes, as well as the top performer on the association’s e-learning platform and the prestigious Freddie Aldous Outstanding Contribution award.

In memory of the BVRLA Honorary Life President who passed away in 2017, the Freddie Aldous Outstanding Contribution Award is presented to an individual that has made exceptional contributions to the industry overall, while committing significant efforts to support the work of the BVRLA. This year’s award went to Lee Hamlett, commercial director, Kinto UK.

BVRLA chief executive Gerry Keaney said: “When it comes to residual value and remarketing, there is nobody that has given more to represent the sector, help educate those around them, and raise overall standards, than Lee. The sector would be in a different place were it not for his continued commitment and palpable passion.”

Prior to that, the BVRLA had named Sue Palmer from Finance One Limited as the Learning & Development Achiever of the year, as well as three Industry Heroes. Nominated by peers, the Heroes are those to have turned in exceptional performances in their respective fields and made an extraordinary contribution to their organisations.

This year’s Industry Heroes were:

• Ella Marsden, Tusker, for being a passionate advocate of teamwork in customer service, who has overseen a year of exponential growth.
• Chris Chandler, Lex Autolease, for being a key advocate for the industry in the transition to zero-emission vehicles, helping many businesses make the switch.
• Jacky Brown, Alphabet, for consistently taking proactive steps to protect the team’s wellbeing, maintaining morale while ensuring the team could keep up with an exceptionally busy year.

The BVRLA Annual Dinner will return for 2023 on Thursday 2 March.