A CARE home operator has been named as ‘Young entrepreneur of the Year’ in a national awards ceremony.

Harnoop Atkar, chief executive of Oakland Primecare in Newbury Park, won the award on Thursday, March 2, at the House of Commons.

The 30-year-old, who lives in Chigwell, said: “I only realised I was a finalist when I got to the ceremony. To win was a real honour and I’m thrilled to have this recognition.”

Harnoop runs a care home in Loughton, along with a second branch in Hastings, East Sussex.

The entrepreneur was presented the award by Epping Forest MP, Eleanor Laing.

The business had 152 beds in 2014. This will now rise to more than 800.

Harnoop said: “My father, Sav Atkar, began his care business in the late 1980s and had always worked very hard to make it successful.

“I grew up watching and being influenced by him and used to help my mum with the payroll and admin as it was an opportunity for me to get involved.”

Harnoop had not always aspired to take over his father’s business and got a degree in chemical engineering before starting work at a nuclear plant in Cumbria.

Eventually he moved back to the business and had ideas of his own.

He said: “My vision was to take the company further to become the market leading care home group in the country.”