York Design Awards is inviting property and design professionals, enthusiasts, and creatives to join an evening of inspiration, networking, and celebration, to mark the launch of its 2024 awards.

The launch event will take place on Thursday 29^th February at St Peters School from 6pm to 9pm, with drinks, canapes, guest speakers and networking. With entries for the awards set to open in due course, the evening is a great opportunity for prospective entrants to learn more about this year’s awards.

Keynote speakers, co-founder of Gustafson Porter + Bowman, Neil Porter and non-executive director of the Office for Place, Esther Kurland will be in attendance to share their knowledge and experiences in the design sector.

Co-founder of Gustafson Porter + Bowman, Neil Porter, who was also a landscape design consultant for York Central, has a wealth of experience in delivering significant public realm projects in the UK and abroad. Esther Kurland, a planner by background who has worked in local authorities for 10 years, is currently a member of the Governments Local Authority Planning Capacity and the Office for Place Transition Board.

Throughout the evening, there will be opportunities for networking, an audience Q&A with the keynote speakers, with drinks and canapes provided.

Ann Reid, Chair of The York Design Awards Committee said: “We are thrilled to be launching our 2024 awards with our annual event at St Peters School.

The awards are a great opportunity for architects, developers, organisations and individuals across York to showcase their brilliant designs and high-quality projects which contribute to the diverse range of properties and developments we have in our city. I look forward to welcoming guests to network, make connections and hear from our brilliant speakers.”

The York Design Awards launch event will take place on St Peters School, Clifton, on 29^th February from 6pm – 9pm. To register for tickets and find out more about the event, visit York Design Awards Eventbrite page: York Design Awards Launch Evening Tickets, Thu 29 Feb 2024 at 18:00 | Eventbrite

Jewson has announced the finalists in its first ever Making Better Homes Awards, recognising the champions in the industry who are working hard to create energy efficient, safe and comfortable homes.

After entries closed at the end of 2023, a panel of judges made up of industry specialists assessed all the nominations with the three highest scoring projects in each category making the shortlist.

Going through to the next round in the Best Building Fabric in a Project category are Draper Studio, SIP Build UK and Orka Construction. In the Best Use of Renewable Energy in a Project category, Channel Electrical, Castlethorpe Homes and The Vegan Builder will face the national vote. Finally, competing for the title of Best Sustainable Project of the Year are A Corner of Eden, Greencore Homes and The Holt Group.

The public will now be able to vote online for their favourite shortlisted entrant in each category, with the winners announced at a ceremony later this year.

Sitting on the judging panel were Gavin Crane, CEO for Band of Builders, Nicola De Sousa, Central Director for the Federation of Master Builders, Matthew Handley, Category Innovation Manager at Jewson, and Chris Pearman, Regional Sales Manager at Build Aviator.

Matthew said: “It has been a privilege to judge the first ever Making Better Homes Awards – to say the judges were impressed with the entries is an understatement. Every single project entered demonstrated the steps tradespeople are taking to ensure their customers can enjoy energy efficient properties which will stand the test of time, while making recommendations which also go some way to protecting our planet.

“Judging at this stage of the competition was hard as there were some incredibly inspirational entries, but the public face the hardest step in choosing the winner from each category. It’s a tough one to call and I’m excited to see who the three winners will be.”

Nicola added: “The high calibre of entries to the Making Better Homes Awards is testament to the effort and dedication tradespeople are putting into upskilling themselves in the areas of sustainability and renewables, and proves that as an industry we are making great progress.

“Every entry we saw deserved a place in the shortlist, but the three projects moving onto the next stage in each category really shone and showed us something unique. I can’t wait to see who wins, because they have incredible futures ahead of them.”

Debbie Greaves, founder of The Corner of Eden, said of making the shortlist: “We entered this competition to show that it is possible to bring something amazing to life on a remote island and to overcome the many design, resourcing and logistical challenges along the way. Winning would feel like excellent recognition for our Harris Hideaway project, which we hope will bring so much pleasure to so many people in the future as it continues to blend modern, unique, sustainable design that sits seamlessly in its wild, ancient landscape.”

Chris Warner, Managing Director at Castlethorpe Homes, added: “We entered the awards to help shine a light on the need for more renewable energy being factored into brand new build homes and we feel our entry shows what can be done with great design and thought when building new homes. The use of more renewables in construction is vital if we are going to drive down running costs for the homeowners, especially in these difficult times, embracing the need to show exemplary ways of building but also have a long-term plan to have less impact on our planet.”

The public can now vote online for the winners of the three categories – Best Building Fabric in a Project, Best Use of Renewable Energy in a Project, and Best Sustainable Project of the Year.

Middle East Solar Industry Association awards leading school ‘Solar Project of the Year’ Carport solar panels deliver 25% of the Al Jadaf IB Boarding school’s energy needs System provided by Yellow Door Energy and Empereal Energy Services.

After installing a ground-breaking solar panel-based energy system on the roof of its car parking area, Swiss International School Dubai is the proud winner of ‘Solar Project of the Year’ at the Middle East Solar Industry Association annual awards.

The MESIA Solar Awards, held on December 6^th at the Address Hotel, Marina, is the industry’s longest standing, premier awards ceremony, now in its twelfth edition.

Chosen by an esteemed panel of expert judged, this year’s awards were very popular, being held during the UAE Year of Sustainability and the year Dubai hosts the COP28 talks.

Sustainability and environmental awareness are commonplace at the Al Jadaf-based school, from including sneakers made from recycled plastic on the uniform list, to encouraging pupils to consider waste in fashion with competitions like Junk Kouture.

The innovative solar power panels, installed at the school by local sustainable energy provider for businesses, Yellow Door Energy, during the summer break, will deliver enough power to meet around a quarter of the site’s energy needs.

Yellow Door Energy installed 1,366 solar panels atop the car port, covering 200 parking spots at the school.

School Head of Operations, Alexander Varghese, says: “We would like to thank the Middle East Solar Association and Yellow Door Energy for delivering us a truly sustainable energy solution, which has now given us more silver for our growing trophy cabinet!

“Our mission to create fully-rounded 21^st century global citizens must include high awareness of sustainability in mind. We believe that seeing the solar panels in action – and understanding that they help provide a significant level of power to our school complex- will help pupils keep renewable energy sources front of mind as they step out in the world.”

Mr Varghese also highlighted the school’s many environmental initiatives, from saving water initiatives to an eco-friendly mud garden.

CEO of Yellow Door Energy, Jeremy Crane, commented “Sustainability and education go hand in hand, and we are honored to be recognised for this award – for the solar carport power plant for Swiss International Scientific School Dubai. As a UAE-founded company, Yellow Door Energy continues to strongly support the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 Target and COP28’s objectives. We look forward to operating and maintaining the solar carport, with the intention that it will inspire the students, teachers and staff at the school for many years to come.”

Yellow Door Energy has provided SISD with a clean energy solution, which will have a remarkable, long-term effect on the entire school community.

The winning installation measures around 3,000 square meters – larger than three tennis courts – and will generate around 1,300MWh of clean energy each year, offsetting 920 metric tonnes of carbon emissions.

Yellow Door Energy expects the system to generate 30,680 MWh of clean energy over its expected lifetime of 25 years, avoiding 21,700 metric tons of carbon emissions.

Mazen Kanaan shortlisted for the prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year at the Arabian Business Achievement Awards 2024

Everyone’s favourite disruptive treat brand, House of Pops, is receiving more award recognition after co-founder Mazen Kanaan has been shortlisted as potential Entrepreneur of the Year at the Arabian Business Achievement Awards 2024.

The Arabian Business Awards, held at Atlantis The Royal on January 25, 2024, will acknowledge and celebrate outstanding individuals and organisations across a wide range of categories.

The shortlist reveal took place recently at Aura Skypool Dubai, where business luminaries, industry leaders and distinguished guests gathered to witness the unveiling.

Winners will be chosen by an elite group of judges from among the business, professional and academic community across the Middle East.

Mazen says: “I am truly honoured to be shortlisted for this award. It’s really a testament to the hard work we’ve all been putting behind the brand, to build it into the leading health & wellness ice cream.

As the business head, he constantly strives to push the team to be their best selves – whether through challenging thought processes, sending podcasts that open the team’s minds to new perspectives, and celebrating the wins and overcoming the losses together.

This culture makes sure everyone can, and more importantly is motivated to, contribute their absolute best by offering a flex-work model, truly prioritising a work-life balance. With the team and spirit in place, Mazen is gearing up to pivot House of Pops into the future through local and international geographic expansion, brand building, innovative range extensions, and private labeling.

As the company expands, the business and founders have been recognised and celebrated along the way. House of Pops won the MEED SME of the Year Award in 2022. In 2023, the range was also awarded two gold stars with International Taste Institute – highlighting the quality and taste experience of the pops. Mazen received recognition from Images Retail Middle East E-commerce Yearbook 2023 for his strategy in driving House of Pops’s growth in that channel.

Bloomberg recognised the brand as “taking over the Middle East”, acknowledging House of Pops’s current growth and future strategy.

Throughout the years, Mazen’s leadership has truly driven the business forward, from humble beginnings at the Ripe Market, to a currently multi-million-dollar brand with strong plans for future growth. He has been building a brand and business that will offer healthy happy treats for all, without discrimination.

Awards to recognise and celebrate the work of North Yorkshire Council’s public health and adult social care teams have been handed out this month.

Each of the 21 prize winners received a certificate for their achievement but also the gift of a small tree, continuing the work that the council did earlier this year to plant eight covid memorial trees across the county to remember the people North Yorkshire lost to Covid-19.

The tree trail was established for all of those who have suffered during the pandemic and to thank colleagues and communities who have contributed so much.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for health and adult services, Cllr Michael Harrison, said: “The awards scheme was put on hold through Covid-19, so this was our first opportunity since then to recognise the extraordinary work done by our officers to improve the health and wellbeing of people in North Yorkshire.

“They go above and beyond for the people and our communities – I am proud of all our staff but especially the 143 individual and 40 team nominees who are providing a top rate service to our county.”

This year there were several new awards including the corporate director’s award and the outstanding leadership team award. The corporate director for health and adult services, Richard Webb, handed over his award to Cath McCarty who retires this month after 33 years with the authority working within health and adult services as the head of human resources.

The outstanding leadership award was shared by public health manager Emma Davis, and Rachel Murphy from the social care mental health service. It was Emma’s idea to plant the eight memorial trees and she worked hard to bring that proposal to fruition. She was also recognised for her work on sexual health and women’s health. Rachel has played an instrumental role in developing social care mental health services and getting more frontline colleagues involved in research and evaluation.

The leadership team award went to Mike Rudd and the extra care housing team, in recognition of the 20th anniversary of Extra Care housing in North Yorkshire, which has delivered 28 schemes countywide, with more than 1,500 apartments and bungalows to rent or buy.

The awards were made at a special event at the Pavilions in Harrogate presented by BBC Radio York’s Joanita Musisi.

The awards are:

Corporate director’s award:

·         Cath McCarty, the retiring head of human resources: for her tireless commitment to social care and public health and most recently, a major push on recruitment and retention, during her 33 years working for local government in North Yorkshire.

Inspirational teamwork: To recognise where a team has demonstrated great teamwork, support, resilience and effectiveness to achieve their goals and through this have made a difference to people’s lives or to the quality and effectiveness of the service delivered.

·         Silver Birches Elderly Persons Home Team: For brilliant teamwork in the development of their intermediate care beds for people being discharged from hospital.

Innovation and change: To recognise a team or individual that has come up with an innovative way to solve a problem or make an improvement in their service or who have championed change to ensure success.

·         Integrated Quality Team: For implementing a new way of tracking and addressing poor quality or concerns in care homes, through the use of a QR code to enable immediate feedback.

Promoting diversity and inclusivity: Anew award category to recognise ongoing work to be a more inclusive service.

·         Tracy Knowles: For her work to promote best practice for working with people from different backgrounds and for working alongside colleagues from minority ethnic backgrounds to ensure their voices and experiences are heard.

• Vicky Wareham: For embedding good equality, diversity and inclusivity practice for both colleagues and people who use services.

Making a difference where we live: Anew award to recognise the impact on the quality of life or wellbeing for a group of people through their work on a project, in or outside work.

·         Selby reablement care and support workers: Instead of buying cards and presents for each other, staff created a fundraiser to provide presents for local children who may not get a gift for Christmas.

·         The supported employment team, Melanie Trotter and the autism accreditation group within care provider services: For their work on being one of the first councils to secure independent national Autism accreditation.

Reduce/re-use/recycle: A new award to highlight the importance of the best use of resources to reduce environmental impact.

• Milestone House Team: for their work on recycling.         

Customer excellence: To recognise how the people of North Yorkshire are consistently a top priority.

·         Kayleigh McGovern and the Larpool Lane Kitchen: For the excellent activities that they initiate at Larpool Lane care home in Whitby, including a seven-day virtual cruise week for residents, which involved food and entertainment from different countries.

• Claire Bradbury: For her work on safeguarding.  

Making the most of the new council: to celebrate the achievement that bringing together North Yorkshire Council has helped to facilitate the links to other services, such as housing and leisure.

·         Elaine Hewitt: For her work with other departments such as housing, leisure, economic development and others to improve how the council works together to help adults with severe mental health issues.

·         The joint work of the health and adult services and community development directorates on housing adaptations: Claire Bell, Jill Ellerton and Lynn Williams for the work they did with housing partners to develop a new minor adaptations service for older and disabled people, which starts in 2024.

Contribution to health initiatives, including Covid-19 protection: To recognise where actions have informed, educated, promoted, protected or improved the health of the community.

·         Hambleton/Richmondshire Home First Team: The service has seen some amazing outcomes for people at a time when they feel at their most vulnerable as they are discharged from hospital.

Extra Care Housing 20: To celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the first Extra Care housing scheme in North Yorkshire.

·         Popplewell Springs Extra Care Housing Team: for helping residents to be more confident and independent.

Workforce development: Torecognise the positive impacts on ways of working and the development of the workforce. 

·         Ruth Austen, Anna Finch and the health and adult services academy team: The council has recruited 28 new social workers from South Africa and Zimbabwe. The team provided their new colleagues with the best possible opportunity to adapt to UK’s laws and legislation and the council’s ways of working, as well as helping them to get to know local communities.

Making a difference behind the scenes: To recognise non-frontline roles which enable health and adult services colleagues to improve service delivery through their excellent support.

·         Amanda Jacques: Reviewed every single entry of data in the liquid logic adults system for home-based support and community-based support services to ensure better value for money and more timely payment of care providers.

·         Mortality data subgroup: Improving our learning from the patterns and factors contributing to premature death of individuals facing multiple disadvantage, with the aim of preventing deaths where possible.

Outstanding leadership: To recognise someone who consistently demonstrates the organisation’s leadership principles, is passionate about engaging people and inspiring others to achieve outcomes.  

·         Emma Davis: For her inspirational idea to plant trees in memory of Covid-19 victims and her work on sexual health and women’s health, as well as her passion for her local community in Wensleydale.

·         Rachel Murphy: For championing mental health and social care research.

The health and adult services leadership team award: To recognise a team that the health and adult services leadership team particularly want to publicly celebrate and recognise.

·         Mike Rudd and the Extra Care housing team: To recognise the leadership which has led to the provision of 28 Extra Care housing schemes over the past 20 years.

The AMD Design Award 2023, aimed at CG and media artists as well as creative students, has announced its winners, concluding this year’s contest.

As a beacon for sustainable development and environmental protection in the realm of digital art, the AMD Design Award has wrapped up its latest edition. The competition, which ran from July 15 to October 15, brought together a diverse group of digital artists addressing essential environmental issues.

The range of submissions spanned smart city infrastructure, zero-emission transportation concepts, and initiatives for responsible energy usage. The “Social Poster” category attracted the most entries, signifying the artists’ eagerness to address social and environmental challenges through their creativity.

This year’s competition saw a significant number of entries, predominantly from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, with France, Spain, and Canada also making notable contributions. For the first time, the competition saw active participation from creative students, with a special prize fund set aside for the best student work.

During the period of October 15 to October 30, a panel of distinguished jurors reviewed the submissions. The AMD Design Award’s goal is to fuse artistic creativity with critical thinking, fostering innovation and positive change in a time of global shift. The jury for this year’s AMD Design Award included:

· Annibale Siconolfi — Italian artist and architect, known for his 3D environmental modeling.

· Sarper Baran — Founder of Artgrab.co and an accomplished 3D artist with a solid background.

· Rolands Zilvinskis — Freelance 3D Artist and Motion Designer based in London, specialising in sci-fi.

· Manu VB Tintoré — A sculptor and painter exploring futuristic aspects of humanity.

· Mickael Lelievre — A 3D modeling artist with a decade of experience in the industry.

· Matthew Betcher — Brand consultant with a focus on sustainable solutions.

· Pick Keobandith — Ph.D. in art history, specialising in art and cultural diplomacy.

Manu VB Tintoré, a sculptor, painter, and international agriculture engineer, reflects on the role of an artist in our ever-changing world: “How can we understand the role of an artist in this rapidly changing and endlessly mutable world? How can an artist’s work drive the essential changes humanity requires? Probably the binomial artistic creation — critical thinking constitutes one of the keys to promote. In this sense, the AMD Design Award stands out as one of the instruments to enhance this binomial and consequently influence the transition in which we are immersed. Young and experienced professionals, guided by the theme proposed by the contest, apply their creativity and intellect to generate innovations with implications for the design of a better future.”

This year’s winners are:

City category – Recognising the outstanding achievement in designing a smarter, more efficient city infrastructure with interconnected renewable energy systems, this nomination was awarded to Thomas Chamberlain‑Keen (United Kingdom), Alberto Petronio (United Kingdom) and Nick Leung (United Kingdom).

Transport category – Applauding the visionary work dedicated to zero emissions vehicles and sustainable transportation solutions, this nomination was awarded to Loic Bramoulle (France), Axel Sauerwald (Germany) and Mike Luard (United Kingdom).

Social Poster category – Commending the creative genius behind the artwork promoting responsible energy consumption by the Citizens of the Future, this nomination was awarded to Matteo Stella (Italy), Arad Safarzadegan (Germany) and Jeanne Plounevez (France).

Best student work – Celebrating the brightest emerging talents who have demonstrated exceptional creativity and dedication in the pursuit of sustainable design, this nomination was awarded to Jannes Ennen (Germany) and Artem Krylovskiy (Canada). 

The winners in each category will receive fantastic prizes that include powerful AMD products, designed to propel the advancement of creative industries. The first-place prize is a Workstation PC powered by the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5965WX processor and Radeon PRO graphics card. The second-place winner will receive a Workstation PC equipped with the AMD Ryzen 7000 Series Desktop processor and Radeon RX 7900 Series graphics card. The third-place prize is a ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 featuring the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U processor. The Best student work prize is a $300 Gift Card for Learn Squared that can be used to access the latest and most valuable courses offered by some of the industry’s leading artists. With these facilities, the winners will supercharge their creative abilities, reaching new horizons in their work and unlocking the potential for groundbreaking innovation. 

Additionally, each winner of the contest will receive an exclusive prize: access to a Windows 11 Pro for Workstations license, further enhancing their creative capabilities.

Rolands Zilvinskis, a dedicated jury member, expresses his honor in being a part of the AMD Design Award and wholeheartedly applauds the artists for their unwavering commitment to a sustainable and energy-efficient future. He reflects, “I was honored to be a part of the AMD Awards jury, and I am thrilled to recognise the commitment of these artists to a sustainable and energy-efficient future. Their proposals showcased unique ideas, creativity, and innovation that could potentially make a positive impact in the future.”

The AMD Design Award, with a focus on environmental sustainability and innovation, embodies a critical mission to advance to a better world. By embracing the responsibility to protect our planet and encourage energy-saving measures, AMD challenges artists to imagine a world with abundant alternative energy sources and explore how we can contribute to these changes.

AMD extends its sincere gratitude to the esteemed partners — Armari, Chillblast, CyberPowerPC, InterPro Workstations, PCSpecialist, Scan Computers, and Strongbox Technology — for their invaluable contributions, empowering the next generation of innovative and sustainable designers.

Doug Love, Lead Practitioner in Trading Standards at Hammersmith and Fulham Council’s Trading Standards has received the Intellectual Property Award at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) annual Hero Awards which celebrates outstanding achievements in consumer protection.

The Hero Awards took place on 22 November in the House of Commons hosted by Yvonne Fovargue MP and the early breakfast show host Jenni Falconer. The CTSI Hero Awards provide an excellent platform to recognise individuals or groups making exceptional contributions to consumer protection within our communities, ensuring fair competition and safeguarding businesses.

Doug Love played a crucial role as the Senior Investigating Officer in a joint investigation involving the Premier League and the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) targeting a company engaged in illegal internet streaming of sports and other subscription channels.

This case resulted in the conviction of six defendants on charges of conspiracy to defraud, with one facing money laundering charges. The perpetrators, responsible for illegally streaming live Premier League football matches, made over £7 million before receiving a cumulative sentence of over 30 years, with the ringleader sentenced to 11 years. This case is thought to be one of the biggest copyright cases of its kind.

The Flawless case also featured an ongoing financial investigation, resulting in the early restraint of approximately £2 million in assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA). Doug’s Hammersmith colleague, Richard Murphy, an Accredited Financial Investigator has done and continues to do outstanding work to progress this. 

Doug said “I thank CTSI for this award, but I was just one necessary part of a true partnership effort. Without FACT discovering the offenders, my excellent Trading Standards and financial investigation colleagues, and the fantastic and rigorous approach of the Premier League’s Legal Team, this case would have never reached Court and the offenders not brought to account”.

CTSI Chief Executive, John Herriman, said: “Doug’s rigorous investigative work in this case is truly outstanding, and deserving of recognition by the wider profession and his peers. The Hero Awards are so important as they give us an opportunity to spotlight the incredible work that often goes unnoticed and where those committed to protecting the public have gone the extra mile. We take huge pride in Doug’s achievements and his dedication to tackling criminality which helps to ensure that consumers are better protected.”

Graham Mogg, Managing Director from the WRi Group helped to present this Award as supporter of the Intellectual Property Award Category.

Leaders Romans Group (LRG), one of the UK’s largest property services groups, proudly announces its significant environmental achievement of reaching carbon neutrality in 2022, eight years ahead of its original target of 2030. This milestone is a testament to LRG’s commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices.

The 2022 Carbon Footprint Report reveals that LRG’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions totalled 4744 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e). However, when accounting for green electricity, these emissions dropped to 4064 tCO2e, significantly reducing LRG’s environmental impact​​. The company’s approach to calculating carbon emissions aligns with the ISO 14064 standard, ensuring international recognition and credibility​​. The overall emissions saw a 1% decrease compared to 2021, underscoring the effectiveness of LRG’s environmental strategies​​.

The achievement of carbon neutrality in 2022 is a result of a series of targeted strategies and initiatives that collectively reduced and offset their carbon emissions.

Energy Efficiency Enhancements: LRG undertook significant efforts to improve energy efficiency across its operations. Despite a 13% increase in electricity consumption, overall emissions were reduced by 1%, indicating effective energy management practices​​. LRG has completed a number of branch re-fits this year, all to their new sustainable office principles.

Green Electricity Adoption: A key factor in reducing LRG’s carbon footprint was the transition to green electricity. By incorporating renewable energy sources, LRG was able to significantly lower its ‘market-based’ emissions to 4064 tCO2e​​.

Environmental Management Action Plan: LRG implemented an Environmental Management Action Plan, a proactive approach to identify and target significant emission reduction opportunities. This plan was a cornerstone in understanding and managing their carbon emissions effectively​​.

Sustainable Partnerships and Initiatives: An instrumental partnership with Green the UK planting over 28,000 trees sequestering at least 35 tonnes of carbon annually, contributed significantly to balancing LRG’s carbon emissions​​.

Restoration and Conservation Projects: Support for various environmental restoration projects. These included restoring wildflower meadows, aiding native oyster population recovery in The Solent, and supporting kelp restoration along the Sussex coastline. Such initiatives offset carbon emissions and enhance biodiversity and ecosystem health​​.

Investment in Carbon Credits: LRG balanced its remaining emissions by investing in carbon credits. This process involved purchasing and retiring carbon credits equivalent to their emissions, thereby achieving a state of carbon neutrality​​.

Community engagement: Supporting charities such as Cash 4 Kids, The Trussell Trust, and participating in local events to raise funds and awareness for disadvantaged children across the UK​​. This holistic approach to sustainability encompasses both environmental stewardship and community well-being, recognising the interdependence of these aspects in creating thriving neighbourhoods​​.

This comprehensive approach, combining direct emission reductions with strategic offsetting initiatives, exemplifies LRG’s dedication to environmental stewardship and corporate responsibility, leading to their remarkable achievement of carbon neutrality eight years ahead of schedule.

David Wilson, Chief Operating Officer at LRG said “LRG’s unwavering dedication to sustainable practices and community involvement has been recognised with the Negotiator Gold Award for Sustainable Agency of the Year. This accolade highlights LRG’s leadership in the property industry, setting new standards for environmental responsibility and community engagement.”

“LRG’s journey to carbon neutrality is an ongoing process, with a commitment to continuous improvement and setting new environmental goals. The company plans to keep enhancing its branches and operations in line with sustainable principles, ensuring a lasting positive impact on the environment and communities they serve​​​​.”

“LRG is proud to be at the forefront of sustainability in the property industry, demonstrating that environmental responsibility and business success can go hand in hand.”

The British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom & Bathroom Installation (BiKBBI) has today announced the shortlist of finalists for the BiKBBI Installation Awards 2024 – the only awards programme dedicated to recognising and rewarding excellence in the KBB installation sector.

This year saw more than 170 nominations across twelve categories, with all entries scored by an independent panel of judges representing businesses from across the KBB industry, ultimately producing our shortlist of 48 finalists.

The BiKBBI Awards 2024 shortlisted finalists are:

APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR sponsored by Quooker

Aaron Machin                  AT Installation Services Limited

Peter Salter                       Lima Kitchens

Sienna Tomkins                System XL Limited

Jack Nicholls                     Exon Building Services

COMMUNITY CHAMPION OF THE YEAR sponsored by InstallerSHOW

TK Kitchens & Bedrooms

AT Installation Services Limited

GROHE

CT1

CUSTOMER SERVICE CHAMPION OF THE YEAR sponsored by Qure Group

Lewis Home Renovations Limited

Alexander Kitchens

Brampton Interiors

The Adroit Services Partnership

INDEPENDENT RETAILER OF THE YEAR sponsored by MHK UK

JLC Interiors Limited

Bathrooms at Source

Studio Hamilton

Christian Andrews Interiors

INSTALLATION BUSINESS OF THE YEAR sponsored by Häfele

Simon Taylor Furniture Limited

The Kitchen & Bathroom Installer

Alexander Kitchens

Ace Electrical & Plumbing Limited

INSTALLATION MANAGER OF THE YEAR sponsored by CT1

Emma Boreham               Wickes

Keir Butterwick                Wren Contracts

Warwick Hockley             Alexander Kitchens

Ian Cloggie                        Christian Andrews Interiors

INSTALLER OF THE YEAR sponsored by Triton Showers

Graham Parnell                The Kitchen & Bathroom Installer

Ross Thompson               Hollands Heating

Michael Miles                   Ace Electrical & Plumbing Limited

Leigh Haag                        LH Installations

NATIONAL RETAILER OF THE YEAR sponsored by Anthill

Wickes

B&Q

Wren Kitchens

Homebase

YOUNG INSTALLER OF THE YEAR sponsored by Schlüter Systems

Owain Jarvis                     AT Installation Services Limited

Callum Keating                AT Installation Services Limited

Aidan Parish                     Lima Kitchens

Tom Wallace                     Valley Kitchens & Bathrooms

ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMPION OF THE YEAR sponsored by Trend Tool Technology

Sandy Armitage Designs

Space-Plug Limited

Abode

Rotpunkt

INDUSTRY NEWCOMER 2024 sponsored by Lecico

Reggy Burgees                 Bettis Carpentry & Build Limited

Derek Craig                      DGC Kitchen Fitters

Freddie Bowles                BESO Furniture

Alex Wickes                       Tranquil Construction

A Special Recognition Award, sponsored by Sonas Bathrooms, will also be presented on the evening.

BiKBBI CEO, Damian Walters, commented ‘The BiKBBI Awards continues to grow year or year, both in terms of the number of entries we are seeing, but also in the support and involvement from the wider KBB sector. This year we have seen nominations rise by 30% across all categories and we have, once again, seen the quality of the submissions improve. This year’s finalists should be in no doubt that being shortlisted is a cause for celebration in itself and we look forward to celebrating with them in February at the BiKBBI Awards presentation.  It is so important that the installation sector is recognised for the role that it plays in the industry, and therefore our thanks goes to those businesses that are sponsoring the 2024 Awards – their commitment and support is what makes both the Awards programme and the presentation event possible.’ 

The winners of all eleven categories, along with the winner of the BiKBBI Special Recognition Award will be announced at an Awards ceremony at the prestigious QEII Centre in London’s Westminster on the evening of Tuesday 6 February 2024. Tickets for the 2024 BiKBBI Awards are now on sale now and can be purchased here. More information on the event and the awards programme can be found at www.bikbbi.org.uk/events.

If you are interested in finding out more about the remaining sponsorship opportunities available for the BiKBBI Awards 2023, please contact Leon Rowland on leon.rowland@bikbbi.org.uk or call 01375 213 199.