A YORK business has celebrated its first birthday in style by winning the prestigious Shell Live Wire Award for the North Yorkshire region.

The awards are sponsored by Shell UK and by over two hundred local sponsors, and seek to encourage the development of good practice among young people in business.

Stone Soup is the publisher of :here magazine, a free monthly magazine aimed at young people in York, and is also currently working on producing a CD of local music.

The business has also just won the contract to design and produce the next Student Directory for a consortium of five universities and colleges.

A cheque for £1,000 was awarded to Stone Soup by Norman Whyte, chief executive of York Business Development. The firm now goes through to the northern final of the competition, held in Newcastle at the start of May.

Stone Soup's main activity, :here magazine, was founded in response to a perceived lack of publicity for the vibrant youth and artistic scenes in York.

Tom Sharp, editor of :here magazine, said: "This award is acknowledgement, by the business community, of the work we have been doing - as well as recognition of all the talented people in York, who have been involved with us over the past year."

Updated: 12:00 Monday, March 26, 2001