Inclusive Crew wins the Innovation Award
Let’s talk about awards for a second.
Not the “everyone gets a trophy” kind. The kind where you’re up against other great businesses, in a room full of people who actually know what graft looks like, and you’re sat there trying to look calm while your brain is doing cartwheels.
In 2025, Inclusive Crew won the Innovation Award at the West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce Annual Ball and Recognition Awards, held at Chester Racecourse.
And yes, I still get a little emotional about it. Not in a cheesy way. In a “thank god someone gets what we’re trying to do” way.
A quick bit of context. Because this wasn’t a random win
The Chamber is not new to this. They’ve been supporting businesses in West Cheshire and North Wales for more than 90 years, and they’re an independent, not-for-profit organisation.
Their Annual Ball and Recognition Awards is a proper event. In 2025 it was on Friday 14 November, with over 350 guests, 11 categories, and over 100 entries.
So this wasn’t a lucky punt. This was judged.
What the Innovation Award is actually for
The Innovation Award (sponsored by Knew Productions) is for organisations driving positive change through new ideas that deliver real benefits. The Chamber’s criteria includes:
a clear example of innovation (product, service, process, or business model)
evidence of impact (growth, efficiency, customer experience, digital, competitiveness)
proof it stands out in its sector
leadership and a culture that supports creativity and problem-solving
Inclusive Crew was listed as a finalist. Then named the winner.
So what did we do that counted as “innovation”?
Simple answer. We use VR to train organisations in neuroinclusion.
Not as a gimmick. Not as “ooh shiny tech”. As a way to help people feel what it’s like when the workplace is set up like a daily obstacle course for neurodivergent brains.
Because here’s the thing.
Most workplace training is too polite. Too tidy. Too theoretical. People nod along, tick a box, then go straight back to doing the same stuff. No change. No action. Just another certificate living in someone’s inbox.
VR is different.
It creates a level of understanding that a PowerPoint simply can’t. You don’t just hear about sensory overload, processing delays, or social strain. You experience enough of it to stop arguing with it.
And once someone has felt it, they stop saying things like:
“Can’t they just try harder?”
“It’s only a bit of noise.”
“They seemed fine to me.”
“We treat everyone the same here.”
That’s why this award mattered. It recognised that inclusion needs better tools, not more posters.
Why Chester Racecourse. Why this region. Why I’m proud as hell
This award came from the local business community. People who run teams, deal with customers, juggle costs, manage growth, and know what it takes to build something that actually works.
The Chamber described the evening as a celebration of the region’s business community, and they raised £8,810 for the event charities too.
So yeah. It felt like a big moment.
What this win means for Inclusive Crew, going forward
It’s not about bragging rights. It’s a marker.
It says:
this work is needed
tech can be used for good
neuroinclusion can be practical, not performative
and “innovation” isn’t just apps and shiny dashboards. It can be changing how humans treat other humans at work
When I said at the time that this award validated what we’ve known from day one, I meant it. This is the direction workplaces need to go in.
Want to see what “VR inclusion training” looks like in real life?
If you’re a business leader, HR team, manager, or training lead and you’re bored of training that changes absolutely nothing, let’s talk.
Inclusive Crew workshops are built to create understanding that sticks, and then turn that into actions your teams can actually take.
Because neuroinclusion should not be a nice idea. It should be how work works.
