The Prince of Wales attended the Business in the Community Annual Awards for Excellence this evening, celebrating responsible business.

Attending the ceremony at Old Billingsgate Market, The Prince met the awards’ finalists during a reception before joining a Gala dinner.

His Royal Highness has been President of BITC for over 25 years. The charity focuses on using responsible to transform local communities. Now in their 15th year, the awards are the UK’s leading awards for responsible business practice. BITC received over 335 entries for the National Awards for Excellence.

During the ceremony, The Prince presented the awards to the ‘2012 Prince’s National and Regional Ambassadors’ before giving a speech.

During his speech, The Prince spoke about the level of potential corporate social responsibility in Britain and stressed the importance of developing that potential to ensure the country has a greater future.

Speaking to the finalists at Business in the Community’s Awards for Excellence, The Prince said “there aren’t many other countries... that have something like what we have managed to develop over the past 27 years in Britain, and that is a remarkable degree of corporate social responsibility. It’s truly extraordinary and something that we could export, particularly at this time when globally there has never been a greater need for people like yourselves.”

The Prince praised John Varley, the outgoing national Prince’s Ambassador who oversaw the creation of the Business Emergency Recovery Group which mobilises businesses’ response to crises such as floods or last summer’s riots: “BERG has been mobilised recently, particularly in Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire where there are particular problems they are facing as a Market Town... Hebden Bridge relies on tourism and visitor business, and the surrounding area does as well, so there is need for promotional support to encourage tourists and remind them that Hebden Bridge is open for business."