The Veterinary Surgeon, who founded the renowned natural pet food company, has been announced as a finalist for the 2018 Natwest Great British Entrepreneur Awards.
He will compete against leading businessmen and women from across the country and a range of industries in the ‘Entrepreneur for Good’ category, designed to celebrate entrepreneurs that are leading an organisation that is implementing pioneering ideas and business models to help drive social change.
The news comes as Burns Pet Nutrition recently announced a £1M charity donation to mark its 25th year of trading. Originally established in 1993, the business was founded by John based on the belief that feeding a healthy diet is the key to managing many of the common health problems seen in pets.
Despite starting his career as a Veterinary Surgeon, John believes that he has done more for pets with his line of healthy pet food than he could have ever hoped to have achieved in general practice.
In 2008, John set up The Burns Pet Nutrition Foundation- a charity dedicated to improving the lives of people and pets across the UK. Today, the in-house charity is run by a team of six who specialise in everything from one-off donations to grassroots projects.
One such project, Burns by Your Side, helps schoolchildren to improve their literacy and communication skills with the aid of trained volunteers and their companion dogs. The scheme is currently active in over 40 educational settings across parts of Wales and Ireland.
Commenting on his philanthropic efforts, John said:
“I have decided that the company should be a force for good. I want Burns Pet Nutrition to not only be known for our natural pet food, but also for establishing and maintaining a legacy of good causes in the community.”
John is in the running to win the Entrepreneur for Good award along with six other Welsh entrepreneurs. The winners will be announced on Thursday 22nd November at a special gala final in Cardiff.
