Sunrise Studios in Lowestoft has been named the winner of the Positive Impact in the Community award, sponsored by Lovell, at the EADT Business Awards 2023.

A finalist in multiple categories at this year's awards, Sunrise Studios is a community production company that has made great strides since being launched in 2021.

The organisation was established by filmmaker Joshua Freemantle when he was just 18, within the regional charity Access Community Trust.

Run by young people for young people, Sunrise Studios offers media production services for a range of local organisations, including visual/audio content creation, photography, events, media campaigns and website development.

All profits generated from Sunrise’s work are reinvested to provide opportunities within media production, music and the arts for under-25s. It also delivered Lowestoft’s inaugural Film Festival in 2022, providing a platform for undiscovered talent from Suffolk and further afield, and it has recently held music therapy sessions to help boost participants’ self-esteem through music.

The judges were blown away by the “incredible” achievements that Josh has made with the “very limited resources he has and at the age he is”.

They added that “if you are looking for your impact commensurate to the number of resources, in communities across Suffolk, Sunrise is on another level.”

Emma Ratzer MBE, CEO of Access Community Trust, said: “I can’t explain what this award means to me, because we’ve won awards here before but we’ve never won it for an individual project.

“Joshua deserves this,” she added. “He’s part of our organisation but he absolutely drives this project.”

When asked what makes him so passionate about Suffolk, founder Joshua Freemantle said: “It’s where I grew up. It’s where I live.

“Nearly three years ago, Access opened doors to me and let me do what I love, and I happened to be able to make money out of that and enjoy every day and support even more young people along the way.”

About the sponsor

Lovell is a housing developer and provider of partnership and open-market housing. The company has expertise in housing-led regeneration including new-build, openmarket
housing, refurbishment, planned maintenance and assisted living.

Lovell also believes in providing a legacy and investing in communities, and is committed to caring about its people and providing opportunities including apprenticeships.

Lovell has been operating for over 50 years and has sites across the region, including Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. It is part of the Morgan Sindall Group plc.

For more information, please visit lovell.co.uk

The finalists

Home Instead

Home Instead is a homecare provider covering Ipswich, Woodbridge, Felixstowe and the surrounding areas. It has over 100 care professionals working in clients’ homes providing daily care, end-of-life care, live-in care and companionship.

The judges praised Home Instead’s work in the community and said “this is care provision which is trying to do much more than just provide care”.

Inspire

Inspire is an Ipswich charity that works closely with under-25s to support their personal development and wellbeing, help them overcome obstacles and progress onto professional pathways.

The judges called Inspire “a very well-run organisation built on a passion for developing and supporting young people” and commended the work it does in small communities.

St Elizabeth Hospice

Established in 1989, St Elizabeth Hospice is an Ipswich-based independent charity that provides free services for people living with a progressive or life-limiting illness.

The judges said the charity’s 2022 Big Hoot fundraiser, which saw 115 owl sculptures placed
throughout Ipswich, was “clearly a hugely valuable project which got businesses and the community involved and excited”.

To find out more about all the winners, please click here.

For more on the EADT Business Awards, please visit the website.