The 50+ Awards 2013

The 50+ Awards showcase the best that life has to offer for those who are 50+.

The 50+ Awards are organised and presented by the 50+ Show, and are solely based on the internet nominations and votes of those who are aged 50+. The inaugural 50+ Awards took place in 2012.

The inaugural 50+ Awards 2012 (based on a total of 211,465 individual votes) were presented at a Gala Awards Reception on 13 July, at London Olympia's Pillar Hall.

In 2013, the 50+ Awards will be based on voter ratings, to find the absolute best of the best!

Left: That winning feeling for British Gas in 2012!

"A wonderful event which ran extremely smoothly.....well done! The 50+ Awards held in the prestigious Pillar Hall at Olympia in central London were well organised with great attention to detail. We were made to feel extremely welcome from the moment we entered the hall. The food, waiting staff and entertainment were brilliant." Mrs Tricia Waller - The Open University (winners, Best 50+ continuing education provider).

For more information on the 50+ Awards, sponsorships and tickets for the Gala Awards Reception, please see 50+ Awards sponsorship and 50+ Awards Gala Reception tickets.

Following feedback from voters and nominees in 2012, we made some changes to make the 50+ Awards in 2013 even better.

After receiving nominations from 747 people*, we have calculated the longlists for each category:

VOTING IS NOW OPEN - VOTE HERE NOW!

Thanks for voting!

Dr Robert McCaffrey, Show Director

It's an accomplishment event to be shortlisted - here's what some of our voters said of the inaugural 50+ Awards in 2012:

• I have learnt about some companies and organisations that I didn't know existed just by doing the survey, so now I'm going to surf the web.
• I have not heard of these awards till this evening, but it was interesting to see which organisations had been nominated.
• This made me realise how few of these 50+ organisations I have heard of! I will be looking them up to find out what they offer.
• I wasn't aware of some of the companies in the lists - so has increased my awareness. I'm looking forward to seeing the winners!

Timetable for the 50+ Awards 2013:

7 January: Nominations open
14 January: Nominations close
21 January: Announcement of nomination long-lists (top 10 most-nominated); Voting opens
1 June: Announcement of short-lists (top 3 rated nominees in each category).
1 July: Voting closes
11 July (Thursday): 50+ Awards presentations in London at the 50+ Show

*Winners in our 'nominations draw' in 2013 were Mrs Huet, Mrs Antill and Mrs Humble, who each win a £50 voucher. Congratulations!

Nomination long-lists for 2013 can be seen below.

50+ Awards rules

The 50+ Awards referee is Dr Robert McCaffrey, 50+ Show director: No correspondence is to be entered into and 'the referee's decision is final.'

Individual awards cannot be sponsored, but awards sectors can be sponsored: companies will be allowed to augment their list on the awards homepage, but the nomination and voting forms on the internet will be free of advertising.

Inclusion in the 50+ Awards nomination and voting process is free.

At the end of the nomination process, the top 10 most-nominated companies will go forward to the voting phase of the 50+ Awards. If a tie means that more than 12 comapnies would be long-listed, the least-nominated tied companies will be eliminated.

A category must have at least five different nominated companies to be considered valid prior to public voting: If insufficiently varied nominations are received for any category, the referee reserves the right not to open voting for the category and to make no award in that category.

The order of nominees on the voting forms will be randomised.

Companies may be nominated for, and be included in, the voting for more than one award.

The 50+ Awards will make reasonable efforts to inform nominees of their nomination status, but cannot guarantee that they will be informed.

On 1 June, the top three rated nominees in each category will be 'short-listed' and will be made public via the 50+ Awards web site. Voting for the short-listed nominees will continue for another month. Previous ratings will be carried over.

Each shortlisted company will be informed, and will be allocated a free ticket to the Awards Ceremony. Additional tickets may be purchased.

Voting will close on 1 July.

If no representative of the company is present at the awards ceremony, the award will not be presented at the awards ceremony: the company will be responsible for collecting the award and/or for any expense in the presentation of the award. Awards not collected/presented within 90 days of the awards ceremony will be recycled.

It is noted that companies are likely to seek to have themselves nominated and, if long-listed and/or shortlisted, to encourage their customers to vote for them, and since it is impossible to 'police' this behaviour, it is - for the avoidance of doubt - explicitly allowed.

Shortlisted companies

Companies that have been shortlisted are allowed to use the following graphic on their literature or web sites until 10 July 2013 - web links must link to http://www.50plus-Awards.com:

The inaugural 50+ Awards 2012

The inaugural 50+ Awards successfully took place in 2012.

In 2012, following a public nomination phase, shortlists of the most nominated in each category were put to a public vote. Over 6500 voters cast a total of 211,465 votes in 53 categories. With an average age of 64, our voters represented a total of 421,760 years of experience!

What the voters said about the 50+ Awards in 2012:

• Extremely good survey & easy to understand.
• I like that there are over 50 awards and pleased to vote too
• This was fun - thank you!
• I congratulate you on the concept - and for highlighting the fact 'we matter'!
• Good survey, very interesting

The 50+ Awards Winners 2012

Selected photos from the 50+ Awards Awards Reception 2012

50+ Awards press release 2012

Examples of coverage:

Open University

Ramblers Worldwide Holidays

London & Partners

SilverTravelAdvisor.com

Three lucky voters were selected at random after the voting closed on 30 June 2012, to receive one of three £50 vouchers: Mr R. Blow of East Anglia, Mrs D. Mason of London and Mrs K. Anstiss of the West Country - congratulations.

The three lucky winners in the 2012 nominations draw were Mrs K. Hocking, Mrs H. Cole and Mr I. Gardiner - Congratulations.

Nomination long-lists 2013 (nominees in alphabetical order):

Best 50+ UK holiday provider
Caravan Club
Collett's Mountain Holidays
Ramblers Countrywide Holidays
Saga
Shearings
Staysure
Thomas Cook
Thomson
Travelsphere
Warner Holidays

Best 50+ UK day out
50+ Show
Brighton
Edinburgh
Glasgow
Kew Gardens
London
National Trust
Seaside
Stirling Castle
York

Best 50+ Theatrical Show
Dreamboats & petticoats
Jersey Boys
Les Miserables
Lion King
Mamma Mia!
Mrs Browns Boys
One Man Two Guvnors
Phantom of the Opera
Top Hat
War Horse
We will Rock You

Best 50+ UK destination
Blackpool
Bournemouth
Brighton
Cornwall
Devon
Eastbourne
Edinburgh
Lake District
London
Scotland
York

Best 50+ UK hotel group
Best Western
Britannia
Hilton
Holiday Inn
MacDonald Hotels
Marriott
Premier Inn
Shearings
Travelodge
Warner Leisure Hotels

Best 50+ UK coach company
Caledonian Travel
David Urquhart
Glenton
Leger
National Express
Robinsons
Shearings
Stagecoach

Best 50+ overseas holiday provider
Collett's Mountain Holidays
Ramblers Worldwide Holidays
Riviera Travel
Saga
The Caravan Club
Thomas Cook
Thomson
Travelsphere
Virgin Holidays
Voyages Jules Verne

Best 50+ cruise provider
Celebrity
Cunard
Fred Olsen
P & O
Princess
Royal Caribbean
Saga
Staysure
Thomson
Voyages of Discovery

Best 50+ overseas destination
Australia
Caribbean
Cyprus
Italy
Majorca
Malta
Spain
Tenerife
USA

Best 50+ overseas hotel group
Accor Hotel
Best Western
Hilton
Holiday Inn
Marriott
RIU
Saga
Sol

Best 50+ airline
British Airways
Easy Jet
Emirates
Monarch
Singapore Airlines
Thomas Cook
Thomson
Virgin Atlantic

Best 50+ tour operator
Brightwater Holidays
David Urquhart
Just You
Ramblers Worldwide Holidays
Saga
Thomas Cook
Thomson
Travelsphere
Virgin
Voyages Jules Verne

Best 50+ travel agency
Barrhead Travel
Bath Travel
Co-operative Travel
First Choice
Flight Centre
Howard Travel
Saga
Staysure
Thomas Cook
Thomson
Trailfinders

Best 50+ adventure travel provider
Collett's Mountain Holidays
Explore
Ramblers Worldwide Holidays
Saga
The Caravan Club
Thomson
Trailfinders
Travelsphere

Best 50+ health tourism destination
Bath
Hungary
Poland
Spain
Thailand

Best 50+ medical charity
Action on Hearing Loss
British Heart Foundation
British Red Cross
Cancer Research UK
Diabetes UK
MacMillan
Marie Curie
Medicins sans frontieres

Best 50+ non-medical charity
Age UK
Barnados
Dog's Trust
Help for Heroes
Oxfam
PDSA
Reach Volunteering
RSPCA
Salvation Army
Save The Children

Best 50+ group (not-for-profit club/association/society)
Age UK
National trust
Ramblers Association
The Caravan Club
U3A
WI - Women's Institute

Best 50+ wellness provider
Age UK
Benenden Healthcare
Boots
British Chen Style Tai Chi college
Bupa
Champneys
Healthspan
NHS
Saga
Simply Health

Best 50+ housing provider
Churchill Retirement Living
Hanover
McCarthy & Stone
Shelter
Taylor Wimpey

Best 50+ assisted living provider
Bield Housing
Churchill Retirement Living
Hanover
McCarthy & Stone
Richmond Villages
Sunrise Senior Living

Best 50+ newspaper (paid-for)
Daily Express
Daily Mail
Daily Mirror
Daily Record
Daily Telegraph
Guardian
Herald
i (Independent)
Sun
Times

Best 50+ free publication
50+ Show Magazine
Evening Standard
Mature Times
Messenger
Metro

Best 50+ magazine
Choice
Country Living
Good Housekeeping
Oldie
People's Friend
Saga Magazine
Woman and Home
Woman's Weekly
Yours

Best 50+ TV channel
BBC 1
BBC 2
BBC 4
Channel 4
Discovery
Gold
ITV 1
ITV 3
STV
Yesterday

Best 50+ radio station
BBC Five Live
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 4
Capital Gold
Central FM
Heart
LBC
Magic
Radio Scotland
Smooth

Best 50+ web site
Amazon.co.uk
BBC.co.uk
Facebook.com
Google.co.uk
MoneySavingExpert.com
Saga.co.uk
SilverTravelAdvisor.com
Staysure.co.uk
TheFuturePerfectCompany.com
TheRetirementCentre.com

Best 50+ ad campaign
Age UK
Compare the market.com
Go Compare
John Lewis
M & S
Smoking kills (NHS)
Staysure
Virgin Atlantic

Best 50+ personality
Billy Connolly
Bruce Forsyth
David Attenborough
Helen Mirren
Joanna Lumley
Judi Dench
Maggie Smith
Philip Schofield
The Queen

Best 50+ (modern) car
Ford Escort
Ford Fiesta
Ford Focus
Honda Jazz
Nissan Micra
Toyota Prius
Vauxhall Astra
Volkswagen Golf
Volkswagen Polo

Best 50+ clothing retailer
Asda
BHS
Bonmarché
Debenhams
John Lewis
M & S
Matalan
next
Primark
Slaters

Best employer of those who are 50+
Asda
B & Q
Churchill Retirement Living
Civil Service
John Lewis
M & S
NHS
The Caravan Club
Waitrose

Best 50+ small business (fewer than 50 employees)
Oakhouse Foods
Seamless Relocation
Silver Travel Advisor
The Chocolatier
The Future Perfect company

Best 50+ continuing education provider
Age UK
Glasgow University
Learn Direct
Open University
Strathclyde University
U3A
WEA

Best 50+ ready-meal provider
Birds Eye
Iceland
M & S
Oakhouse Foods
Tesco
Waitrose
Weight Watchers
Wiltshire Farm Foods

Best 50+ broadband provider
BT
O2
Plus Net
Sky
Talk Talk
Virgin Media

Best 50+ bank or building society
Bank of Scotland
Barclays
Co-operative Bank
First Direct
Halifax
HSBC
Lloyds TSB
Nationwide
NatWest
Royal Bank of Scotland
Santander

Best 50+ insurance provider
Age UK
Avanti
Aviva
Churchill
Co-operative Insurance
L V
Prudential
RIAS
Saga
Staysure
The Caravan Club

Best 50+ electricity provider
British Gas
Co-operative Energy
E.On
EDF
M & S
n power
Scottish Hydro
Scottish Power
Southern Electric
Utility Warehouse

Best 50+ gas supplier
British Gas
Co-operative Energy
E.On
EDF
M & S
n power
Scottish Gas
Scottish Power
Southern Electric
Utility Warehouse

Best 50+ place to eat
At home
Brewer's Fayre
Café Rouge
Harvester
Loch Fyne
Prezzo
Toby Carvery
Weatherspoons

Best 50+ customer service
Asda
Avanti
Churchill Retirement Living
First Direct
John Lewis
Marks & Spencer
Silver Travel Advisor
Staysure
The Caravan Club
Waitrose