The founder of a company which has revolutionised parcel delivery for businesses has praised his workforce after picking up two top honours at the Oxfordshire Business Awards.

Stuart Miller, chief executive of ByBox, based in Grove, picked up the Oxfordshire Business of the Year award as well as being named the county's Business Person of the Year.

He said: "This has been a genuine team effort. It has taken a long time for us to get to this position but it is fantastic that we are being recognised now."

ByBox has a network of electronic dropboxes' which are used by customers across the UK to deliver a range of items.

The company has grown from just a handful of staff in 2002 to a company employing 180 people with a turnover of almost £25m.

The winner of the Charity and Community award was Chipping Norton Lido, which was saved from closure in 2005 by local residents and is now run as a charity.

Employing 20 people, it runs a full programme of events for young and old, including free swimming sessions for teenagers and pensioners as well as a range of social activities.

Trustee Claire Jarvis said: "This means a lot to us and is independent recognition of what we are doing - that we are getting things right and delivering to the local community.

"The idea that we have created an award-winning charity is a credit to the town as a whole."

The Growing Business award was won by public relations company Three Monkeys Communications, based at Milton Park, near Didcot.

Managing director Annabel Dunstan said she was "thrilled" with the honour, which came a year after winning the Creative category.

The Building and Construction category was won by Cowley-based builders' merchants Buildbase which has seen its branches grow from the original Johnsons depot in Watlington Road to about 150 around the UK.

Chief executive Kevin Middleton said: "Our roots are in Oxford and this is a major honour and recognition of what we do in the local community."

Staff at Didcot-based housing association SOHA Housing are celebrating winning their second Customer and Staff Care Award in three years.

Chief executive Richard Peacock said the success reflected well on the organisation's 100 staff.

He added: "We have 5,000 tenants who have very different needs. It is quite tricky to keep everyone happy, so this award is doubly rewarding."

SOHA manages more than 5,000 homes, at least 160 of which are for affordable rent or shared ownership.

Expanding hi-tech chemical company Oxford Catalysts carried off the Innovation award.

The firm, which hopes to revolutionise the process of turning gas or coal into liquid fuel, as well as developing green biofuels, started in 2004 as a spin-off from Oxford University.

Business development director Derek Atkinson said: "Entering the awards has been very rewarding for everyone concerned."

Jemma Proctor, co-founder of Summertown-based design company One, was "deeply chuffed" to win the Creative award. She said: "We are showing that you can be good and be in Oxford."

Henley-based Onelan, which develops electronic signs, was named Small Business of the Year.

Finance director Helen Dee said: "We are ecstatic. We weren't expecting it at all."

Young Business Person of the Year was Ross Elder of Summertown-based Holiday Lettings.

Mr Elder, 33, who set up the business with schoolfriend Andy Firth, said: "It's lovely to get that kind of honour. The only shame is that I couldn't enter jointly with Andy as he was the technical brains."

Blenheim Palace administrator John Hoy said the historic Woodstock venue's Hospitality and Leisure award would ensure it was kept in the public eye and was great recognition from peers.

The Property and Construction Award went to expanding building firm Ridge & Partners.

Phil Jones, chief executive of the Woodstock firm, said: "A high profile is really important for us and this award is just what we want now.

"We employ 110 people at our Woodstock head office, are still recruiting, and this raises our profile."

The Sustainability award was won by Witney-based engineering firm Gifford & Partners.