Suffolk Chamber of Commerce member Realise Futures is celebrating after being named among the winners in the East of England round of the 2013 Chamber Awards.

Realise Futures, a not-for-profit community interest company spun out of Suffolk County Council, provides a range of training and employment opportunities for disadvantaged people, with more than one third of its paid staff having a learning or physical disability.

It won the Sustainability category in the regional heat of the Chamber Awards, in recognition of the work undertaken by its Eco Services division, which operates in areas including furniture produced from recycles plastic, groundscare, signage and digital print.

Sarah Sharlott, chief executive of Realise Futures, which is a member of the EADT’s Future50 community of businesses with high growth potential, said: “We are very proud to have won this award.

“Our ethos across all divisions of Realise Futures is based on doing right by people and the planet and this award is very much in recognition of this. We feel blessed to have had such magnificent support from the chamber of commerce ? Suffolk and nationally ? in our first year of trading.”

Mark Groves, commercial services manager at Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, added: “It’s great that Realise Futures’ Eco Services division is growing strongly and to see a commercially viable business that’s also delivering environmental and social benefits at home and abroad. Suffolk can rightly be proud of their achievements.”

The Chamber Awards, now in their 10th anniversary year, are organised by British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). Realise Futures will go forward to represent the eastern region in the national finals, which take place in London in November.

Nora Senior, BCC president, said: “I visit businesses up and down the country and am constantly impressed by their determination, innovation and the contributions they are making to their local communities.

“Many of them are optimistic and looking for opportunities to grow and find new markets for their products and services both at home and abroad.

“These are the kinds of businesses that will become the wealth creators of tomorrow, and will play a crucial role in helping the UK economy move from being good, to being great in the months and years ahead.