SOCIAL entrepreneur Lord Andrew Mawson will be the guest speaker at a prestigious event hosted by Halton Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise.

Halton Business Awards 2016 celebrates the excellence, innovation and achievements of individuals and companies across Runcorn and Widnes.

Winners in 13 categories will be announced at Runcorn’s Holiday Inn on Friday, April 22.

The borough’s business leaders will hear that ‘nothing is impossible’.

This is one of the mantras of a remarkable man who has recently been appointed chairman of Well North, a Public Health England initiative to link local authorities with the business sector.

Lord Mawson, knighted in 2007 in recognition of the great social impact of his work, is a Freeman of the City of London and author of the best-selling book ‘The Social Entrepreneur: Making Communities Work’.

He is best known for founding the Bromley-By-Bow Centre in East London, Community Action Network, Poplar Harca (one of the first housing companies) and Leaside Regeneration Ltd.

Lord Mawson was an early supporter of bringing the Olympic Games to East London and today is a director of the London Legacy Development Corporation, responsible for creating a lasting legacy from the 2012 Games.

Chamber chief executive Paula Cain said: “We are delighted to be joined by an extraordinary man who has managed to successfully fuse the worlds of commerce and social enterprise.

“He is an inspiration for those people who want to use business for making the world a better place.

“With a delicious three course meal, an inspirational guest speaker and the excitement of the awards ceremony, the event promises to be a wonderful evening.”

Tickets priced £42.75 for chamber members and £47.50 for non-members are available from Nicola Holland on 0333 358 3480 or e-mail nicola.holland@haltonchamber.co.uk.