Member News Subjects

Bradford College renovation project achieves property awards hat-trick

A £6.9 million refurbishment project that saw a derelict building transformed into Bradford College’s cutting-edge Garden Mills facility has been selected as a finalist in three prestigious property awards. The extensive Garden Mills building project on Thornton Road was selected as a finalist in the Constructing Excellence Yorkshire & Humber Awards 2025, as well as…

Published in - , ,

Community leader Dennis Robbins recognised with honorary doctorate from Leeds Beckett University

Dennis Robbins received his award for his outstanding service to the city. The award celebrates Dennis’ exceptional and inspiring leadership of The Hunslet Club, one of the UK’s largest and longest-standing youth organisations, along with his lifelong commitment to helping young people reach their potential. Dennis first joined The Hunslet Club as a member in…

Published in - , , ,

Tom Riordan CBE receives honorary doctorate from Leeds Beckett University

Tom Riordan CBE is being recognised for his service to the city. In his career to date, Tom has spent almost 30 years working in senior public sector roles in Leeds – first at Yorkshire Forward and then as chief executive of Leeds City Council for 14 years to 2024. His most recent role as…

Published in - , ,

Ideal Extraction Ltd wins prestigious SME Business of the Year Award

Ideal Extraction Ltd, an innovative engineering company based in Ilkley, has proudly secured the coveted SME Business of the Year Award at the Bradford Means BUSINESSiQ Awards. The Gala Awards Ceremony, held on 11 July at the Cedar Court Hotel in Bradford, celebrated the vibrant business community driving success across the district. Organised by the…

Published in - , , , ,

Fourth consecutive Microsoft MVP Award for Principal Consultant Jamie Taylor

RJJ Software is delighted to announce that Jamie Taylor, Principal Consultant and founder, has been awarded Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) status for Developer Technologies for the fourth consecutive year. This prestigious recognition, held by fewer than 3,000 individuals worldwide, acknowledges Jamie’s exceptional contributions to the global development community and his continued commitment to advancing…

Published in - , ,

Bradford wins ‘College of the Year’ at Edufuturists Awards

Bradford College has won a prestigious award recognising its groundbreaking use of digital technology to enhance student learning. The annual Edufuturists Awards are dedicated to those at the forefront of teaching and learning. At a special award ceremony in Manchester, Bradford College was announced ‘College of the Year’ in a highly competitive category. A group of…

Published in - , ,

Industry leaders The Environmental Protection Group are recognised in water and geoenvironmental sectors

Leading SME, The Environmental Protection Group, has been awarded SME Consulting Firm of the Year at last week’s NCE Awards 2025. Celebrated for their innovation, diversity of services, and involvement in industry guidance within the water and environmental sector, EPG were crowned winners in a glittering London ceremony. With a team of multidisciplinary expertise, EPG…

Published in - , , ,

University of Bradford academic awarded historic honour by Royal College of General Practitioners

Professor Mahendra Patel becomes first pharmacist in England to receive RCGP Honorary Fellowship Professor Mahendra G Patel OBE, a distinguished academic pharmacist with deep-rooted ties to the University of Bradford, has been awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP)—the highest honour the medical College bestows on a non-GP and the…

Published in - , , ,

Chadwick Lawrence awards four new training contracts

Leading Yorkshire law firm Chadwick Lawrence has awarded training contracts to four candidates, as it continues to champion future legal talent from the local area.   Christian Licerdale has been awarded an 18-month training contract at Chadwick Lawrence working across the firm’s corporate and commercial and litigation departments. Christian studied for both his LLB law…

Published in - , , ,

GSAL Principal wins national Headteacher of the Year award

The Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) is delighted to announce that Principal, Sue Woodroofe, has been named Headteacher of the Year (Independent) at the Tes Schools Awards 2025. The awards ceremony, which took place in London on Friday 20 June, celebrates the very best in education across the UK’s state and independent sectors. Known as…

Published in - , , ,

Ranking success for University of Bradford

The University of Bradford has been 511 in the world and 47 in United Kingdom, according to the 22nd edition of the world’s most-consulted university rankings. The QS Word University Rankings 2026, released today by global higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds, sees University of Bradford move up 20 places from last year’s ranking of 531….

Published in - , ,

Schofield Sweeney ranked in UK Top 20 for Mergers & Acquisitions

Commercial Law Firm also Ranks Second In Yorkshire in Experian Report Award winning commercial law firm Schofield Sweeney has soared up the rankings to be named one of the top 20 most active legal advisers for mergers and acquisitions in the latest M&A report from Experian Market IQ. The company’s M&A expertise saw it leap…

Published in - , ,

Leeds Manufacturing Festival Awards hail industry’s rising stars as winners announced

Some of the brightest stars in West Yorkshire’s manufacturing and engineering sectors have been honoured, as employers gathered to celebrate the next generation of talent at a sold-out Leeds Manufacturing Festival Awards ceremony, held at Leeds Beckett University. Now in their fourth year, the awards have become a standout feature of the festival, marking the…

Published in - , , ,

Ideal Extraction Ltd in Ilkley shortlisted for prestigious award

Ilkley engineering company, Ideal Extraction Ltd, is celebrating after being announced as a Finalist in the category SME Business of the Year at the prestigious BusinessiQ Awards 2025 hosted by the Telegraph and Argus. These coveted awards, first launched in 2011, recognise the best businesses across the whole of the Bradford district for excellence and innovation. The…

Published in - , ,

Sandburn Hall wins VisitEngland Silver award for excellence as best large hotel

Sandburn Hall has won one of the country’s leading hospitality prizes with a Silver award for ‘Large Hotel of the Year’ at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, held in Brighton this week. Sandburn Hall, set on a 1,000 acre country estate at Flaxton, near York, is an outstanding Yorkshire hospitality, golf, wedding, events and business…

Published in - , , ,

Leeds Beckett University celebrates reaccreditation of prestigious Small Business Charter Award

Leeds Beckett University has been reaccredited after a recent assessment, recognising the ongoing impact of its work supporting small businesses, student entrepreneurship and local economic growth. The award, granted by the Charter Association of Business Schools and the Small Business Charter, places Leeds Beckett among a select group of UK universities acknowledged for their deep…

Published in - , , ,

Big wins for Bradford College at West Yorkshire Apprenticeship Awards

Bradford College scooped a trophies haul at the 2025 West Yorkshire Apprenticeship Awards at the Cedar Court Hotel in Bradford. The event saw three apprentices win their categories and another receive highly commended, alongside a Mentor of the Year award for an employer partner. Now in its fourth year, the Awards celebrate excellence across 14…

Published in - , ,

Bradford business apprentice secures double award win!

A business apprentice from Drighlington property compliance specialists Inspectas, has won two Bradford College Star Awards for being an inspirational student. Faye Oxley (19), won Business Admin Subject Student of the Year and Inspirational Student of the Year, an accolade chosen by Bradford College’s Senior leadership Team. The annual Bradford College Star Awards cover all…

Published in - , ,

Leeds College of Building celebrates success at West Yorkshire Apprenticeship Awards

Two Leeds College of Building higher-level apprentices have been recognised at this year’s prestigious West Yorkshire Apprenticeship Awards. Charlie Brady, a Level 4 Construction Quantity Surveying Technician Apprentice working at EN:Able Futures, won the sought-after Higher Apprentice of the Year Award after fighting off tough regional competition. Hosted by Termrim Construction, Charlie was chosen for his…

Published in - , , ,

Bradford based Garden Centre Group crowns Values Champions

A Bradford based Garden Centre Group has held a celebration lunch to honour its Values Champions. On 1st May, Yorkshire Garden Centres directors celebrated the success of the 10 Values Champions winners with a lunch at the Mezzanine Restaurant at Tong Garden Centre. Throughout 2024, the team at all seven Yorkshire Garden Centres sites voted…

Published in - , ,

University wins national award for drug overdose training partnership

The University of Bradford and New Vision/Waythrough Bradford have won a Student Nursing Times 2025 award for Partnership of the Year for an innovative drug overdose training programme.  The University became the first in the country to begin training all its student nurses in the use of naloxone, a life-saving medication which can reverse overdoses…

Published in - , , ,

Manningham Housing Association achieves Northern Housing Awards double

Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has triumphed in two categories at the Northern Housing Awards 2025. The BME organisation – which manages more than 1,400 homes for over 6,000 residents in Bradford and Keighley – won the blue riband Landlord of the Year award at a prizegiving ceremony at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester, with MHA…

Published in - , ,

Schofield Sweeney triumph at FB Yorkshire Business Hero Awards 2025

Leading commercial law firm Schofield Sweeney is celebrating after a double win at the Yorkshire Business Hero Awards. The West Yorkshire-based firm secured the Diversity, Inclusion & Equality award for the third time in four years, with Marketing Director Ann-Marie Keighley and her team being named Marketing & Digital Disruptor of the Year award at…

Published in - , ,

GSAL Principal shortlisted for national award

The Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) is proud to announce that Principal, Sue Woodroofe, has been shortlisted for Headteacher of the Year (Independent) in the Tes Schools Awards 2025. Now in its 17th year, the Tes Schools Awards celebrates the most outstanding teachers, leaders and support staff across the UK’s state and independent sectors. Dubbed…

Published in - , ,

Leeds College of Building named National Quality Award finalist

The Quality Team at Leeds College of Building has been selected as a finalist in The Quality Professionals Awards (QPA) for Further Education and Employability. Whittled down from over 500 nominees, the elite finalists represent the best and most inspirational quality assurance and compliance professionals in the further education and employability sectors chosen from across…

Published in - , ,

Manningham Housing Association retains world-leading position on diversity and inclusion

Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has again met the global Standard for Diversity and Inclusion in HR Management – building on its unique status as the first housing association in the world to achieve it. ISO 30415 is an internationally recognised certification that endorses exemplary practices in diversity and inclusion within organisations. The accolade is awarded…

Published in - , ,

School of Management ranks Bradford’s Top 100 Businesses

Bradford’s best 100 businesses have been revealed in an annual study carried out by the University and a city newspaper.  The University of Bradford’s School of Management has joined forces with the Telegraph & Argus to produce the third annual Top 100 Businesses list. The list, which celebrates the city’s biggest successes from 2024, was…

Published in - , ,

Yorkshire garden centre group is Highly Commended in a national people and culture award

The team at a Bradford-headquartered garden centre group is celebrating after receiving a Highly Commended award in a prestigious national HR competition. Yorkshire Garden Centres Group received the accolade in the People Team of the Year category of the British HR Awards which celebrate organisations and individuals that are driven by delivering a world-class people…

Published in - , ,

North Yorkshire homebuilder awarded five stars by customers for 16th consecutive year

Leading housebuilder Barratt and David Wilson Homes has once again received the maximum five-star rating in the new Home Builders Federation (HBF) annual New Homes Customer Satisfaction Survey. This is the sixteenth year in a row that Barratt and David Wilson Homes has achieved the top five-star rating – far longer than any other major…

Published in - , ,

West Yorkshire adventure play areas win regional award

The play teams at two West Yorkshire family attractions are celebrating after winning the ‘ ‘Top Spot for Little Explorers’ category of the Yorkshire Tots to Teens Awards 2025. Grass Hoppers indoor and outdoor adventure play at Tong and Tingley Garden Centres beat stiff competition from Dan’s Den, Ilkley and Buttercups in Otley to win…

Published in - , ,

Manningham Housing Association shortlisted for four Northern Housing Awards

Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has been shortlisted in four categories for the Northern Housing Awards 2025, including Landlord of the Year. Other prizes the Bradford-based BME association is in the running for include its Neighbourhood Services team making the cut for Northern Housing Team of the Year, and MHA Customer Panel member Tausif Mohammed being…

Published in - , ,

The University of York Enterprise Awards 2025

The University of York Enterprise Awards return on 26th June at Merchant Adventurers’ Hall! Celebrating York & North Yorkshire’s top entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers. Award Categories: Outstanding Business Growth – Supported by Barclays Eagle Labs Transformational Leader Award – Sponsored by The Company of Merchant Adventurers of the City of York Community Changemaker Award –…

Published in - , , ,

Yorkshire Children’s Hospice is named Garden Centre Group’s Charity of the Year

Bradford based Yorkshire Garden Centres (YGC) group has announced that Martin House Children’s Hospice will be its Charity of the Year for 2025, ten years after its first site at Tong supported the Wetherby based registered charity. Through a series of fund-raising events, collection boxes at the tills and a new ‘Pennies’ initiative, the teams…

Published in - , ,

AAB shortlisted for prestigious British Business Award

Leading UK and Ireland professional services firm, AAB, has been shortlisted as one of the finalists in this year’s British Business Awards, which celebrates and recognises trailblazers across the UK business community. AAB is the only company which combines both financial and professional services to feature in the shortlist for the Stellar Omada Financial Services…

Published in - , ,

Chadwick Lawrence Managing Partner wins Professional Services Leader of the Year

Neil Wilson, managing partner of Chadwick Lawrence Solicitors, was awarded Professional Services Leader of the Year at The Business Desk Yorkshire Leadership Awards last night. The Yorkshire Leadership Awards, which took place on Thursday 20 March at The Royal Armouries in Leeds, was created to celebrate people who are role models within their organisations, and…

Published in - , ,

West Yorkshire adventure play areas shortlisted in regional award

The play team at two West Yorkshire family attractions is celebrating after reaching the final of the Yorkshire Tots to Teens Awards 2025. Grass Hoppers indoor and outdoor adventure play at Tong and Tingley Garden Centres have been shortlisted in the Best Spot for Little Explorers category of the annual awards that champion family-friendly businesses…

Published in - ,

Local social workers recognised in national ‘Amazing Social Worker’ awards

City of York Council is proud to announce that 15 of its social workers have each received a nationwide award in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the social work profession. ‘Amazing Social Workers’ is a campaign run by the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) and champions exceptional work across the profession. The awards…

Published in - , ,

Bradford’s Online MBA ranked 1st in world (again) for value for money

The University of Bradford’s Distance Learning (online) MBA has been ranked 1st in the world for value for money for the second year running by the Financial Times.  It was also ranked 2nd for ESG and Net Zero teaching, 4th for student demographics and 9th for career progression.  The University’s Distance Learning MBA has featured in the…

Published in - , ,

GSAL student joins prestigious Children’s Commissioner youth ambassador programme

The Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) is proud to celebrate the achievement of sixth form student, Naemi Asmerom, who has been appointed as one of only 17 youth ambassadors nationally for the Children’s Commissioner for England, following a highly competitive selection process. The youth ambassador programme, led by Dame Rachel de Souza DBE, provides young…

Published in - , ,

Bradford vying for two national student nursing awards

The University of Bradford has been shortlisted in two categories at the Student Nursing Times Awards 2025.  Bradford is nominated in the Partnership of the Year category, for its work with New Vision Bradford/Waythrough on overdose awareness and response training and for the Student Placement of The Year: Community award.  Natalie Finch, Assistant Professor Mental…

Published in - , , ,

Cross Hills based IT Firm celebrates business accolade from Theo Paphitis

Last month Comprendo IT Support & Consultancy, based in Cross Hills, was presented with their Small Business Sunday winner’s certificate by the business and retail entrepreneur, and self-confessed Shopkeeper, Theo Paphitis. At the Small Business Sunday’s15th anniversary event at the Birmingham ICC, Comprendo’s Sara Haggas accepted the accolade for the business’s winning Instagram post from…

Published in - , , ,

Bradford College wins prestigious national education award

Bradford College has won ‘The Bell Foundation Award for Excellence in ESOL’ category at the 2025 Association of College’s Beacon Awards. The College was the only winner from Yorkshire or Northeast England. The national Beacon awards celebrate the best and most innovative practice in further education colleges and demonstrate the far-reaching impact of colleges on…

Published in - , ,

Yorkshire garden centre group is shortlisted for a national people and culture award

The team at a Bradford-headquartered garden centre group is celebrating after being shortlisted for a prestigious national HR award. Yorkshire Garden Centres Group has reached the final in the People Team of the Year (500 – 1,000 employees) at the British HR Awards which celebrate organisations and individuals that are driven by delivering a world-class…

Published in - , ,

Driving sustainability in business: Docuflow receives GreenMark Certification

Docuflow Ltd., a leading provider of workplace solutions and digital transformation services, is delighted to announce its recent accreditation with the prestigious GreenMark Certification. This recognition highlights the company’s strong commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility, marking a significant milestone in its ongoing efforts to set the standard in corporate social responsibility. Docuflow achieved a…

Published in - , ,

Concrete technician nominated in national emerging talent award

A Bradford concrete technician has been shortlisted in a national industry awards scheme after making a positive contribution to the sector. Oscrete employee, Keiron Todd (25), made the top 10 national nominations for the concrete industry’s Emerging Talent Awards which recognise and reward the achievements and efforts of those in the early stage of their…

Published in - , ,

Bradford City AFC crowned Apprenticeship Games 2025 champions

Bradford City AFC has been crowned winner of the third annual Bradford College Apprenticeship Games, marking National Apprenticeship Week (10th – 16th February). In partnership with CBRE, the action-packed event brings together teams of apprentices and their employers for a day of fun, themed challenges. Each squad competes for the coveted Apprenticeship Games title, while also celebrating the positive…

Published in - , , , ,

‘AI lifeguard’ start-up wins international award

Deep Blue uses an artificial intelligence algorithm to track dozens of swimmers using existing camera networks and is already being trialled on beach and swimming pool environments in Dubai.  Karl, 44, who is now into his second year of the Executive MBA, won the prestigious Start-Up of the Year Award 2025 in the AMBA &…

Published in - , , , ,

10 years of rewarding food industry excellence at Verner Wheelock

Food industry training expert Verner Wheelock has just announced the winners of its annual Excellence Awards. The business, celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, is the training company of choice for numerous well-known food manufacturers and has trained thousands of delegates over the years. The Verner Wheelock Excellence Awards, launched 10 years ago, recognise outstanding…

Published in - , , ,