A GO-AHEAD Stretford firm has received the royal seal of approval.

Procure Plus Holdings has been presented with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise by the Vice Lord-Lieutenant for the County of Greater Manchester, Paul Griffiths.

The organisation, which is based on Talbot Road in Stretford, was honoured in the ‘Promoting Opportunity through Social Mobility’ category.

The newly introduced category, having been launched just this year, recognises organisations that provide high quality initiatives and programmes that specifically reach out to people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Mike Brogan, chief executive of Procure Plus, said: “Receiving the Queen’s Award for Enterprise from the Vice Lord-Lieutenant is an incredible honour for all of us at Procure Plus.

"We’re committed to promoting opportunity through social mobility, and the award is testament to the hard work and dedication of the Procure Plus team.

"We would like to thank the Vice Lord-Lieutenant for presenting us with this accolade and everyone who has made it possible for us to receive the award.”

The Vice Lord-Lieutenant, Mr Griffiths, said: “I’m immensely proud that Procure Plus has been recognised in this category.

"Only six awards for Promoting Opportunity through Social Mobility have been awarded nationally, and Procure Plus is the only company from Greater Manchester to have been recognised. The award is for the whole team, and reflects the enthusiasm and loyalty of the workforce.”

Procure Plus specialises in the procurement of goods and services for the social housing sector, and generates a surplus that it uses to fund training and development programmes within the communities where its clients live.

In the past eight years, it has helped more than 1,320 people into sustainable employment by providing these opportunities. People selected for its range of programmes are those most requiring support and often regarded as the furthest from the job market, including ex-offenders.

Explaining why Procure Plus was chosen as a recipient of a Queen’s Award, organisers highlighted the long-term support that it offers, with 83 per cent of its candidates completing a level 2 qualification, apprenticeship or remaining in employment beyond six months.