Awards

Best of Borough Best Family Business Award

Morton Michel has won Best Family Business in Croydon’s Best of Borough Awards 2006. Judges were looking for a family-run company that was committed to and could demonstrate high levels of customer service, value for money, innovation and flexibility. The accolade for this was awarded to childcare insurance specialist, Morton Michel.

Established more than 40 years ago, Morton Michel is a family firm that has become the UK’s market leader and pioneer in childcare insurance. Its policies cover everything from nurseries, childminders, out of school clubs to mobile crèches and toy libraries. Its general insurance department also offers motoring and household cover, including a popular high worth household policy.

Over 400 people attended the glittering awards ceremony at Croydon’s Addington Palace. Footballer-turned-TV presenter, Ian Wright, and former Royal correspondent, Jennie Bond, presented the Best Family Business award to Morton Michel partners, Samantha, Nick and Jerry Beere. “We were thrilled to receive this award,” said Samantha. “It is testament to all the hard work put in by our family over the years.”

Samantha’s parents, David and Kathy Beere, founded the business in 1964 when Kathy, who was working at a playgroup, discovered that public liability insurance for playgroups didn’t exist. Coincidentally, David worked in the insurance industry and he, together with Sterling Insurance (then call Welfare Insurance Company), wrote a policy specifically for Kathy’s playgroup. Before long, other playgroups approached David for insurance and the business was born.

The fledgling company, which now has over 30 employees, was a family enterprise from the outset. Nick, Jerry and Samantha earned pocket money by helping their parents on Saturdays. “The business was, and still is, an integral part of our family life,” said Samantha. “We have enormous pride in our company and what our family of five has achieved over the last 40 years. ”

Last year, Morton Michel moved to new premises: a three-storey building, Alhambra House in Croydon town centre. “We feel that receiving this award has cemented our recent move to the heart of the borough,” concludes Samantha

Staff and Partners of Morton Michel at the recent Best of Borough Awards where Morton Michel scooped the Best Family Business award.

 

Insurance Age Schemes Intermediary of the Year Award

We are delighted to announce that Morton Michel has been voted Schemes Intermediary of the Year in the 2006 UK Broker Awards.

Over 500 people attended the UK Broker awards ceremony, which took place in The Brewery in the City of London. Morton Michel was presented with the award by Irish comedian, Ed Byrne, who said, " Schemes Intermediary of the Year is always a popular category in these awards with a large number of superior entries. The winner (Morton Michel) was extolled as a real gem by the judges and it has dominated an important sector of the market (childcare insurance)."

Morton Michel partner, Samantha Beere, received the award with her two brothers and partners, Nick Beere and Jerry Beere. "We are just thrilled to receive this award," said Samantha, " it is wonderful to have this recognition from our peers for all the hard work that we have put in over the years."

For the category Schemes Intermediary of the Year, the judges were looking for a company that could demonstrate a commitment to meeting customer needs and to delivering a high quality of service across all its activities. This had to be coupled with a proven track record of successful and innovative expansion into new or existing markets.

Insurance Age received over a hundred entries for its awards with a particularly high number of entries for the Scheme Intermediary of the Year. "This is one of the most hard fought of all the categories," said editor of Insurance Age, Michelle Worvell. "Furthermore, the quality of the entrants was exceptionally high this year and there were some real top players competing for this particular award.

Samantha Beere with the Schemes Intermediary of the Year Award.