Two lucky west Cumbrian companies have both been given a £10,000 helping hand, thanks to CN Group.

The publisher of the News & Star has announced the winners of its Business Boost competition.

Keswick Scaffolding Services and Cockermouth Travel both emerged victorious after a Dragons’ Den-style meeting in which they made presentations to a panel on their business, where they wanted to take it and how £10,000-worth of advertising would help them.

Robert Nelson, the man in charge at Keswick Scaffolding, which won in the ‘businesses up to five years old’ category, was delighted with the win.

He runs the firm with his partner Stacey Agnew and the business aims to provide an affordable service to Keswick and the surrounding area. Mr Nelson took over as the company’s MD last year, following in the footsteps of both his uncle and his stepfather. He was raised in Keswick but now lives in Whitehaven.

He said: “I just explained how I got into the business. They asked me about figures for the next couple of years and my marketing ideas.”

“This is the one thing that is missing from Keswick Scaffolding,” he added. “We have me out on the sites, Stacey doing the books and we do not have anyone doing the marketing side of things.”

He is also looking forward to receiving mentoring from Graham Lamont, partner at contest sponsors Lamont Pridmore, an accountancy firm.

Appropriately for a travel agent, Paul Cusack was on holiday in Majorca when he was due to face the judges. He did not let this stop him, though, and recorded a video presentation for his entry for Cockermouth Travel, in Main Street, Cockermouth which emerged victorious in the ‘business with fewer than 250 employees’ category.

“It was pouring with rain over here,” he said. “It really cheered me up when we won.”

“I talked about the investment we make in staff training and in the community, that is something I am really keen on,” he added.

It is the fourth year that CN Group has run the Business Boost contest. Lamont Pridmore offers free mentoring and support to enterprises through the scheme.

There were also winners in east and south Cumbria.