A FLINTSHIRE company has been named one of the best businesses in rural Britain after winning an Amazon-backed Rural Business Award.

The Leader reported in November how the Accessible Holiday Escapes website had been shortlisted in the Best Rural Start-Up Business category of the 2020/2021 Rural Business Awards, held in partnership with Amazon.

It has now been confirmed the business - which helps guests with disabilities find quality accommodation to suits their needs - won that category.

The business was started by husband-and-wife team Becky and Phil Hamilton.

Mr and Mrs Hamilton love having holidays and days out, but often found it difficult to find accommodation that suited the needs of their eight-year-old daughter, who has a rare metabolic disorder called CDG Type 2, and their 13-year-old son.

The couple was surprised to discover how often access information is missing from websites, so decided to set up Accessible Holiday Escapes to help other families facing the same problem.

Speaking after winning Best Rural Start Up Business, Mrs Hamilton said: “We are so excited to win the National Rural Business Award for Best Rural Start Up Business.

"The past year has been the most challenging yet for small businesses, so to be recognised in this way gives us a huge boost of encouragement as we seek to grow and expand. Thank you, Rural Business Awards and Amazon."

John Boumphrey, UK Country Manager at Amazon, said: “It’s an honour to support the Rural Business Awards’ efforts to showcase the incredible talent of British rural business.

“On behalf of Amazon, I would like to congratulate Accessible Holiday Escapes on this achievement, and I wish them further success in the future.”

The Rural Business Awards is the brainchild of Leicestershire businesswomen Anna Price and Jemma Clifford, who wanted to showcase the wealth of entrepreneurial talent in rural areas of Britain.

Co-founder of The Rural Business Awards, Anna Price, added: “On behalf of the Rural Business Awards, I would like to congratulate Accessible Holiday Escapes on this well-deserved win.

"I would also like to extend my congratulations to all the businesses who made it to the final and wish them well in their future endeavours.”

The 2021/22 Rural Business Awards, to be run in partnership with Amazon, is now open for entries.

To enter or find out more about the Awards, visit www.ruralbusinessawards.co.uk