The biggest independent retailer serving the Norfolk Broads, Roys of Wroxham, has won the Department for Education and Employment's regional "age diversity" award in recognition of its positive recruitment policy. The company, which has stores in eight East Anglia locations, was praised for encouraging anti-ageist attitudes and behaviour among its workforce and employing people across a wide spectrum of ages. Roys staff controller Bronwen Barnes says: "At Roys we value employees for their skills and personality ­ age is not an issue if somebody is good at his or her job. We are thrilled to have won this award." In July the company ran a recruitment advertisement in the local press specifically targeting older jobseekers. The adverts in the Eastern Daily Press and Evening News generated more than 250 responses. The success of these ads was described as an inspiration' by Anglia Television, which ran a TV report on the recruitment drive. "We have never dismissed a job application because of the age of the applicant," says Barnes. "Furthermore, age is no barrier to receiving training or promotion. We have an especially high take-up of NVQ training by the over-50s." An independent retail company, Roys is a member of Nisa-Today's and has seven stores in its Wroxham complex, including a garden centre, food hall and toy store, in addition to seven "variety stores" throughout Norfolk and North Suffolk which sell a wide selection of merchandise. "We have a retirement policy of 65, but are considering the needs of those who want to work beyond that. We do not think staff are over the hill' when they reach a certain age," Barnes says. {{PEOPLE MOVES }}