As a member of the Construction Development Alliance, we had the privilege to be in attendance for the Young Person in Construction (YPC) Awards, which was held at Burnley Mechanics on Thursday, the 25th of May, 2023.
Along with other members of the CDA, Sympathetic Works are delighted in being able to happy to support young people in their goal to reach higher and achieve more.
The Young Person in Construction Awards 2023 aims to support, congratulate and encourage young people to continue their construction pursuits. The CDA desires to recognise these young people’s daily work and let them know they are seen, recognised and appreciated.
What Awards?
These Awards give the CDA members the opportunity to work with the local communities to help support young people. The awards give us the chance to get together and celebrate the new professionals for their hard work and achievements.
There is a saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.” yet it takes a similar support system to build a lasting career. As construction professionals, we support all young people in making their careers in the construction industry today.
These awards are a way of supporting these young people.
Left to right – Max Colligan (Sika), Ben Hall (Overcoming Adversity), Abi Brierley (Young Construction Professional and Overall Winner), Laura Gregson (Stand in for Sam Gregson – Young Construction Designer), Holly Duffy (Young Construction Apprentice), Connor Lynch (Young Construction Environmentalist), Charlie Luxton (Guest Speaker), Reid Lewis (HDP) and Emily Millar (Hawthorn Estates LTD)
The Award categories are:
- Overcoming Adversity – Benjamine Hall Sponsored By Hawthorn Estates Ltd
- Young Apprentice – Holly Duffy Sponsored by B&E Boys Ltd
- Construction Professional – Abigail Brierley Sponsored By Clement Acoustics
- Young Construction Environmentalist – Connor Lynch Sponsored By Ian Farmer Associates
- Young Designer – Sam Gregson Sponsored by Poole Dick
The CDA members, colleges, employers and their guests are immensely proud of all the winners of this year’s YPCA.
As a thank you for all their hard work, each winner received a certificate, trophy, and a personalised goodie bag to help them in their construction career.
A unique Award is held as a surprise for the night that Forbes Solicitors sponsored for the Overall Winner.
The Overall Winner for the YPCA 2023 was Abigale Brierley, who won the Young Construction Professional.
About the Evening
For each awards evening, there is a main sponsor who is important to the evening. As with the last few awards, the main sponsor was Sika.
It is with this help from Sika that the YPCA welcomed an extraordinary celebrity personality, Charlie Luxton. Charlie is known for his shows, such as Channel Four’s – Building the Dream – Alongside his TV Shows, Charlie is an architectural designer who writes and speaks about the environment and sustainable architecture.
Charity
As a way to give back and support young people in the northwest, the CDA selected a chosen charity for the YPCA 23 Awards night.
For 2023’s chosen charity, it was decided by the CDA member to support the Horsfall and 42nd Street, they aim to help young people with their mental health and well-being.
Through the last few years, a lot of young people have struggled, and Covid-19 has taken a massive toll on their self-esteem. Why not donate today using our event fundraiser page if you haven’t already? The CDA’s Justgiving page will continue to accept donations up until October 2023.
The Evening
The evening started with a drinks canopy sponsored by Booth King Associates, which allowed the Members and guests a chance to network.
In the auditorium, Burnley College sponsored the tables.
On the night, Abi Brierley, the Young Construction Professional and Overall Winner thanked those who supported her and added the wise words, “Whether it be an 18-year-old girl from Burnley, whether it be an apprentice, whether it be a graduate – Give them a chance, coz they might just be the future.”
For the evening charity, the CDA arranged sponsored hampers to be won as a thank-you to those who donated to the charity. Each hamper was supported by the companies listed below:
- Feature Hamper – Roman Summer Associates
- Hampers – Site Surveying Services, Armco, AP Bolton Builders, Archaeological Research Services, Ratcliffe Groves Partnership, and LABC.
With a whopping £1813.00 raised on the night, donations are still available using our JustGiving fundraising page.
Offering Thanks
Sympathetic Works would like to say a big thank you to all involved in the YPCA committee this year.
It has taken a lot of time and patience.
Still, the hard work has paid off, giving these five young people a fantastic night and an opportunity for the CDA members to praise the up-and-coming construction professionals of tomorrow.