On December 1st we had a really special night at the 2022 Sussex Business Awards, which was held at the Grand Hotel in Brighton. Sam had been shortlisted in the Young Achiever Of The Year category and Summerley Recruitment were also up for Start-Up Of The Year.
Sam invited nine members of the Summerley team and we gathered in one of the loveliest rooms in The Grand for a pre-event drinks party. Everyone was dolled up to the nines and looked fantastic so we posed on the balcony for a few pre-show photos to remember this special day.
Meeting the other nominees
Then we headed downstairs for the official pre-drinks and took some more photos next to the impressive Christmas tree at The Grand. Sam bumped into one of the sponsors, Daniel from Nordell Plastics, who was giving nothing away about who might win. It was great to be able to chat with him too, as Nordell had won Large Business Of The Year in 2021.
We checked in with the organisers, Platinum Media Group, then headed inside for another glass of bubbly and to meet our fellow nominees.
The host for the evening was Natasha Kaplinsky who looked very glam in a sparkly dress. After posing for the official photographer, she asked Sam’s mum about the business, so Ali filled her in with how Sam had launched during lockdown. Ali explained how Sam burns the midnight oil on a regular basis and provides valuable work for hundreds of students across the south of England.
Then it was time to head to the dining room where the tables were set for our three course meal. It was unusual for the Summerley team to be on the other side of service, and made a nice change to be waited on! Alex couldn’t resist going the extra mile when all the plates were empty, stacking them neatly to save time for our waitresses when they cleared them away!
And so to the main event…
With the meal over, the serious business of the evening began. Luckily we didn’t have to wait too long for our awards, as they were 4th and 5th on the agenda.
Nerves were frayed as they announced the winners of the Start-Up, but we lost out to the amazing Resus Rangers who provide first aid training for primary school children.
Next up was the Young Achiever award so all eyes were on Sam as Daniel from sponsor Nordell Plastics read out the winner. He seemed to take forever but finally said the words we’d been waiting for… “And the winner of the Young Achiever Of The Year is Sam Hickman”.
We were all over the moon, and Sam made his way to the front and made a very brief speech, thanking Table 28 (our table!) and saying he was looking forward to 2023 (or words to that effect, maybe with a swear word thrown in for good measure).
Then we started celebrating properly, with drinks flowing and taking lots of photos. The rest of the awards passed in a blur, as we were passing around Sam’s award and enjoying the moment.
After the main awards, there was a last chance to do some networking, with Sam chatting once more to Daniel from Nordell. They won Large Company Of The Year in 2021 and so wanted to put something back this year, sponsoring the Young Achiever category.
And then it was time to leave, with some of us staying over and others driving or getting a taxi home. It had truly been a night to remember and luckily we had a gallery of photos to remind us forever of the fun we had!
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How Sam has taken Summerley Recruitment to the next level in 2022
Sam has just celebrated Summerley Recruitment’s second birthday, during which time the agency has grown from nothing to over £1million turnover in just 18 months. This is a phenomenal achievement for a new business owner at the age of 26.
Over the August bank holiday weekend Sam provided over 200 staff for the Victorious and CarFest festivals, and wedding functions across the south. This is a huge logistical achievement, and involves organising accommodation and transport for many staff, as well as ensuring they arrive on time, in the correct uniform and go to the right location to report for duty.
At just 26, Sam has built a incredibly successful business in a fragile sector which has thrived since its launch. This is a testament to Sam’s dedication and determination for Summerley Recruitment to become the go-to place for staff within the catering and hospitality sector. Sam has built deep relationships with his clients who trust him to provide quality staff to work alongside their full-time teams to deliver outstanding events.
Sam is keen to support the students he works with and sponsored the University of Chichester sports teams in their varsity event against Winchester. Some of the Summerley Recruitment students took part in the rugby and football matches between the two universities. Sam also hosted a CV masterclass for his previous school, Felpham Community College, to give their students a helping hand at the start of their working careers.
Summerley Recruitment is not only a personal venture for Sam as he is keen that others should benefit from its success. After spotting the potential in some of the candidates who worked for him at events, Sam took them on to work for him permanently at Summerley HQ, to give them the opportunity to develop further in a thriving business.
Sacrifices
Building a successful business in such a short period of time has involved personal sacrifices for Sam.
- He has worked seven days a week for most of the past year.
- He slept in his car waiting for staff to finish their shift before taking them home.
- He burnt the midnight oil on many occasions in the office, either preparing for an event or to ensure the payroll was submitted on time.
- He camped in tents and vans at events so that he’s on hand for his staff to prepare them for a long shift.
- He has regular 4am starts to pick up staff and transport them to events.
- He sacrificed his personal life for the business, rarely seeing his family or girlfriend.
- He stopped playing football for the first time in over 20 years.
Sam didn’t achieve top academic results at school, but this didn’t hinder his ambition to succeed. He has achieved success through sheer hard work, dedication and tenacity, getting to where he is without business loans or other external financial support.
Sam is a shining example of how a young person can build a business from scratch, using skills and inspiration from the various roles in his career to date. We all remember those first jobs, how nerve-wracking they are, and a new generation will remember Sam for inspiring them and helping with their first step into the working world.