Obituary: Brian Dunsby OBE

The death last weekend of Brian Dunsby OBE saw the passing of one of the giants of Harrogate’s business community, whose contribution to the town and the wider district has rarely been equalled.

Mr Dunsby was a successful entrepreneur who helped other entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses. For his commitment to business and the community, Mr Dunsby was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2017. The recognition followed his receipt of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion in 2008.

Mr Dunsby was best known in the local business community for his 14 years as chief executive of Harrogate Chamber of Trade and Commerce (later Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce), which grew significantly under his tenure.

His influence in the Yorkshire business community also saw him work with fellow entrepreneur Mark Lancaster to set up Harrogate Business Market, later Yorkshire Business Market, which attracted 100 exhibitors and 1,000 attendees each spring.

Mr Dunsby was also an active campaigner for improved transport links in and to Harrogate, establishing the Harrogate Line Supporters Group to push for increased rail service frequency to York and London. Having succeeded in these aims, Mr Dunsby continued to push for further improvements and remained transport spokesman for Harrogate Chamber.

More widely, Mr Dunsby was known as the founder of Harrogate Christmas Market in 2012, which rapidly grew to welcome more than 85,000 visitors across four days. Importantly to the organisers, it supported local retail and hospitality businesses at a vital time of year, and raised more than £90,000 for local charities and good causes during its eight years.

At the same time, he worked closely with then Mayor of the Borough of Harrogate, John Fox, to raise funds for the town’s annual festive lights display through the voluntary group Harrogate at Christmas, which ran from 2012 until 2020, when the responsibility was passed to Harrogate BID.

Prior to his public roles in Harrogate, Mr Dunsby was a successful businessman. A chartered chemical engineer, he established Silvaperl Products Limited, with his wife Beryl and co-founder Donald Cook, in 1977 and grew it to become a nationally recognised range of horticultural growing media.

After selling the firm to the brand leader, J Arthur Bowers, in 1987, Brian and Beryl founded Perlex Associates, offering advice and training to entrepreneurs and small businesses across Yorkshire, as well as membership support services to organisations in the UK and Ireland.

Locally, nationally and internationally Mr Dunsby worked tirelessly to promote small business and raise the professionalism of small business advisers.

He became chief executive of the Institute of Business Advisers in 1992. In 1999 Mr Dunsby was elected a director of the International Council of Small Business and organised its World Conference in 2003.

Between 2001 and 2006, he was on the governing body of the World Association of SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises), and in 2001, he was elected a director of the UK Institute for Small Business & Entrepreneurship, organising its annual International Entrepreneurship Conferences for 2004-2008.

Mr Dunsby was also the secretary of the John Innes Manufactures Association (JIMA), until he retired from that role after 32 years of involvement with the organization in 2010.

Mr Dunsby is survived by his wife, Beryl, their three children, Martin, Adrian and Carolyn and their six grandchildren. 

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