A FORMER Olympic coach and founder of the Vale’s Paddle for Life project has been short-listed for the Guardian Sustainable Business Awards 2015.
David Train from Fladbury, has been nominated for the prestigious award of sustainable business leader of the year for his work on establishing a set of tools based around a floating classroom, the Bell Boat, which was designed to help solve the problems connected to climate change.
Mr Train is devoted to encouraging leaders both locally and internationally, to embrace the Paddle for Life project and has had letters of support from prime ministers and ambassadors alike, for his methods which are used daily by children in the Vale.
The project was launched in 2009 and sees paddles made, signed and passed around the world to show people’s commitment to deal with the issues.
And the committed campaigner has enjoyed rich success with world leaders such as the President of Lithuania, Dalia Grybauskaite lending their support.
Five-times Olympic gold medallist Sir Steve Redgrave and Lord Sebastian Coe have also taken the time to put their signatures forward.
But Mr Train remains committed to reaching the very top of the world scale and get the leaders of China and America involved in his ideas to tackle climate change.
Mr Train said: “I was nominated by a colleague in the scouting movement who kept it a secret, it was a nice feeling when I found out and it’s even better now to be shortlisted.
“The judges are aware of the work I’ve been doing in changing boating culture and how I want it to be presented from Worcestershire to the world.
“The key aim is to attach a story to a boat to get ideas across, that way in years to come the story lives on and so does the message is portrays.”
This sustainable business leader of the year award highlights a leader who has shown dedication and bravery in progressing the sustainable business agenda, both within their own organisation and sector as a whole.
For more information about the awards, visit www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/gsb-awards, where the winner will be announced on April 29.
