Aspire Chairman awarded Honorary Fellowship from Customs House

January 28th 2021

Aspire Technology Solutions Chairman, Nigel Begg has been recognised as an Honorary Fellow of the Customs House Academy alongside entertainers Rosie Ramsey and Nadine Shah. The award recognises the achievements of individuals, with a significant connection to South Tyneside, who have made a major contribution to the world of Arts & Entertainment.

The presentation ceremony scheduled to take place in 2020, was unable to be hosted due to the Covid-19 crisis. With the award now safely in Nigel’s hands, he follows in the footsteps of a host of exceptional individuals who have been honoured in previous years, including Sarah Millican, Jason Cook and Chris Ramsey.

Aspire is one of the UK’s fastest-growing IT companies and were recently named Company of the Year at the North East Business Awards. The business was launched 14 years ago by Nigel Begg and Chris Fraser and now employs more than 150 people.

Ray Spencer, Executive Director of The Customs House said: “It is great to have the opportunity to celebrate the lives and achievements of South Tynesiders as they join our Honorary Fellowship. In just over a decade, Nigel and Chris have led the team at Aspire to become the most successful IT company in the region, going on to win awards and drawing an impressive client base from royals to political parties.

“Nigel has used his business acumen to help many charities, becoming a trustee of the Chloe and Liam Together Forever Trust as well as making a significant contribution to The Customs House’s IT infrastructure, for which we will be eternally grateful.”

Nigel Begg added: “It was a completely unexpected accolade to be invited to become an Honorary Fellow of the Customs House Academy. My family and I love visiting our local theatre and it’s even more special to be recognised in my home town.

“Aspire has backed a range of specialist measures for the Arts and Culture sector during the pandemic to provide much needed extra support to organisations in these struggling sectors. It has been an exceptionally difficult time for arts and entertainment venues like the Customs House, which are the life-blood of local communities but have been forced to close their doors. They have faced unparalleled economic challenges and continue to be missed enormously by local people.”

Aspire has set ambitious plans for improving digital innovation across the North East. The company launched their own full fibre North East network in 2018 after a £2.5m investment in local infrastructure. Known as Ultrafast Dedicated Connectivity (UDC), they offer North East businesses connectivity of up to 100 gigabits per second, the fastest speeds and most reliable service in the UK.

Aspire provide technology solutions spanning connectivity, telephony, cloud, infrastructure, technical support and cybersecurity to businesses across the UK.