Posts in category: News

Celebrating Our Success at the 2024 Midlands Family Business Awards

AFJ Limited Shines as a Finalist at the Prestigious 2024 Midlands Family Business Awards

We are thrilled to share that AFJ Limited was recognized as a finalist in both the Service Excellence and People’s Choice Award categories at the 2024 Midlands Family Business Awards, held on 3rd October 2024. This prestigious event brought together the best of family businesses across the region, celebrating their resilience, innovation, and impact on the local community and economy.

A Memorable Night of Networking and Learning

The awards night was a fantastic experience filled with invaluable networking opportunities. We had the pleasure of meeting and exchanging ideas with other businesses, learning how they are contributing to the region’s growth while maintaining a strong family-oriented approach. It was inspiring to see so many like-minded companies thriving, each with unique stories of perseverance and success.

Honoring Our Team’s Dedication

Reaching the finals in both categories was not just a testament to the quality of our service but also to the dedication and hard work of the entire AFJ team. We are incredibly proud of our staff, whose commitment to service excellence and innovation has allowed us to achieve this milestone. This recognition is a shared success, and we couldn’t have done it without each and every team member’s contribution.

Looking Ahead: Continuing Our Journey of Excellence

Being a finalist has reinforced our commitment to delivering outstanding service and maintaining strong relationships with our clients and community. It motivates us to keep striving for excellence in all aspects of our business, from the quality of our products to our customer service.

We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the organizers of the Midlands Family Business Awards for this recognition and to all our supporters for their encouragement. We look forward to participating in many more such events in the future and continuing our journey of growth and success.

Thank you for being part of our journey, and stay tuned for more updates from AFJ Limited!

A locally-based community transport company is getting on board with the fight against loan sharks, helping to raising awareness and displaying flyers on its fleet of vehicles.

AFJ Ltd, which provides home to school and patient transport services, is working in partnership with the England Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT) to warn passengers and other residents about the dangers of loan sharks.

The company, which has depots in Failsworth and also in Nechells, Birmingham, provides community transport across the Greater Birmingham and North West regions.

Employees of the firm took part in a door-to-door leaflet campaign warning residents to avoid borrowing from loan sharks and promoting safer legal alternatives.

The company’s drivers, passenger assistants and ambulance care assistants also handed leaflets to those using the buses and ambulances and will continue in the coming weeks.

A static vinyl also features on the outside of the company’s vehicles to spread awareness on the loan shark issue.

Pooja Sharma, AFJ’s head of business development, said: “In a significant step towards eradicating illegal money lending practices, AFJ Limited is proud to announce its partnership with Stop Loan Sharks.

“I am thrilled to be part of this collaboration, aimed at fostering financial wellbeing and protecting individuals from the harmful impact of illegal loan activities.

“Our shared commitment to ethical lending practices aligns seamlessly with Stop Loan Sharks’ mission to educate and empower communities against the threats posed by loan sharks.

“Together, we will work tirelessly to raise awareness about the risks associated with illegal money lending and provide support to those who may have fallen victim to such practices.”

Tony Quigley, head of the IMLT, said: “Having a company like AFJ working with us to raise awareness like this is fantastic.

“These flyers will be seen by hundreds of passengers as well as other road users and will help spread our message far and wide that illegal lending will not be tolerated.

“Illegal lenders make life a misery for the most vulnerable in society.

“We are here to stop them and our specialist officers are on hand 24 hours a day to support borrowers.

“We are so grateful to the team at AFJ for their commitment to helping us tackle the scourge of illegal lending and protect our communities.”

Pooja added: “Our collective goal is to create a community where individuals can access fair and transparent financial services without the fear of exploitation.

“As we embark on this journey with Stop Loan Sharks, we encourage individuals and communities to be vigilant and report any instances of illegal money lending.

“Together, we can build a stronger and more resilient society that is informed, protected, and empowered.”

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Illegal Money Lending Team, also known as Stop Loan Sharks.

Since 2004, the IMLT has supported over 31,500 people and written off over £91.2 million worth of illegal debt, securing over 416 prosecutions for illegal money lending, leading to 598 years in jail.

Anyone who has been affected by illegal money lending should call the Stop Loan Sharks 24/7 Helpline on 0300 555 2222 or access support online at: www.stoploansharks.co.uk

Live Chat is available on the website from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.