The national winner in the British Small Business Champions (BSBC) 2008 awards is The Castle Fine Arts Foundry based in Oswestry.

This business was chosen from the six national finalists from across the UK, winning £10,000 to be spent to the benefit of the business. Castle Fine Arts Foundry will spend it on improving facilities for its staff.

Castle Fine Arts Foundry Ltd, Llanrhaedr Um Mochant, Oswestry, started in 1990 and is one of the country's leading art foundries with studios in Llanrhaedr um Mochant and Stroud, Gloucestershire.

The foundry works closely with local, national and international artists to cast high quality bronze sculptures: from small scale gallery pieces to monumental public commissions that are seen in many towns and cities in the UK and abroad.

The judging of BSBC 2008 was headed by Carol Undy, past national chairman of the FSB and a very successful business owner.  She said: - “Castle Fine Arts is a shining example of a successful, small business. This came across very strongly at each stage of the judging process  - its written application, its interview with the panel of BSBC judges and then, when I visited the foundry and met its staff.”

BSBC 2008 is very grateful for the support of: