Following on from the success of the inaugural awards programme, the categories have been extended, with two new accolades joining the existing accolades of the Future of Furniture Excellence in Education Award and Future of Furniture Excellence in Sustainability Award.

The two new awards being introduced for 2024 are the Future of Furniture Best ESG report and the Future of Furniture Sustainability Champion.

All four winners will be announced at a reception held by the BFM at the January Furniture Show.

Phil Spademan, MD of the BFM, said: “The Future of Furniture campaign aims to highlight the value and variety of careers within the industry, as well as showcasing the steps the industry is taking to support a greener approach to manufacturing.

“Considering 2023 was our first awards event, we were delighted with the number and quality of entries.

“We hope to see as many BFM member companies enter for 2024 and see their achievements recognised at a celebratory reception at JFS.”

The new categories explained

The new category for Best ESG report will recognise best practice and creativity in communicating a BFM member business or organisation’s environmental, social and governance initiatives, performance and impact - while the Sustainability Champion will be given to an individual working within a BFM member company who goes above and beyond to promote industry activities that support the planet.

The criteria for the Future of Furniture Excellence in Education Award and Excellence in Sustainability Award will remain unchanged, with the judges for the Education Award once again looking for entrants who provide a rewarding working and learning environment to new recruits and offer insight into partnerships and initiatives with schools, colleges and other organisations to attract talent into the sector.

For the Sustainability Award, the winner will demonstrate a commitment to improvement in sustainability, alongside their plans on achieving targets over the next three and five years. The judges will also consider how members empower their teams to focus on sustainable solutions.

The 2023 winners

The trade body presented the Future of Furniture Excellence in Education accolade to High Seat Limited (HSL), and the Excellence in Sustainability award to Jay-Be.

Speaking at the 2023 JFS reception, Lydia Burrows, Environment and Sustainability Manager at HSL Chairs, said: “We are really proud to be recognised for supporting our local community in education within furniture manufacturing.

“Our HR and manufacturing teams work tirelessly to make sure that we're constantly upskilling our workforce in key crafts and skills, which help ensure that British manufacturing remains a core industry.”

Roger Durrans, CEO of Jay-Be added: ““I feel absolutely ecstatic and very flattered and proud to be acknowledged for the efforts the team at Jay-Be is putting in, to continue in our sustainability achievements.”

Full details for the 2024 awards will appear at https://www.bfm.org.uk/about/the-future-of-furniture/future-of-furniture-awards/