An accolade in honour of Her Majesty the Queen has been added to the Barking and Dagenham Chamber of Commerce (BDCC) Business Awards.

Organisers say the one-off Jubilee Award will celebrate the Platinum Jubilee and recognise "resilience, continuity and sustainability".

It is open to all businesses, community organisations, charities and not for profit organisations located inside and outside of Barking and Dagenham which have been operating for at least five years.

These must have either been trading in the borough or employing staff who live there.

The organisation's plans for the coming five years need to include either operating in Barking and Dagenham or employing staff who live there.

Awards judges want examples of challenges faced during the last five years and how the organisation overcame them, lessons learnt, whether any support was sought and any results for the last five years.

They also want to see a strategic plan for the next five years.

The new award means there are now 12 categories which are free to enter.

The deadline for entries, which must be less than 500 words, has now been extended to midnight on Sunday, June 5.

Organisers have also expanded the criteria for the best new business category.

This now includes businesses which have registered in Barking and Dagenham in the last five years - previously it was three.

BDCC president Jamie Banks said: “Entering is an excellent way to promote your business and gain recognition for your achievements.

"The awards are a wonderful platform for celebrating and generating business success."

Judging begins in the week beginning June 6 with the judges selecting their shortlist of finalists.

This will be followed by visits to the finalists and then the final ratification.

The winners will be announced during a ceremony at Dagenham & Redbridge FC on July 21.

It is the first time the awards have been held since 2019 and the Post is among the event's sponsors.

To enter, e-mail info@bdchamber.co.uk or call 020 8591 6966.