SGS Engineering has unveiled the five finalists for the third edition of the competition which celebrates ‘hero’ tradespeople who have supported their communities.
Last year the award was won by ‘Hero’ plumber James Anderson of Depher – and this year’s short list also looks good for the sector.
The competition launched again earlier this year saw Brits encouraged to nominate builders, plumbers, electricians, joiners, plasterers, and other well deserving tradespeople who have been serving their community with good deeds.
With finalists now selected, the public vote for this year’s edition has now opened, which means that friends and family, as well as the wider community have a chance to rally behind their local finalist in the hope of securing them a grand prize of £1,000, alongside the honour of being named the nation’s ‘Local Hero 2023’.
Voting closes at 11:59pm on Monday 24th April
The Finalists are (in alphabetical order)…
Aaron Fleming-Saheed (Cycling Sparks)
Location: London (Midlands and Southern England)
Aaron is an electrician who runs a business with a fleet of e-bikes. He has been nominated by a happy domestic customer who thanked Aaron for his contribution to cutting London’s carbon footprint and offering customers in the capital an eco-friendly option when selecting a tradesperson.
Band of Builders (Charity)
Location: Wisbech (Midlands and Southern England)
The second time that Band of Builders have been entered for the SGS Local Hero Awards, they were awarded charity status in 2019. They have received a second finalists’ nomination for their fantastic work in supporting tradespeople and their families when they are facing life-changing or limiting circumstances – often pooling together several skilled tradespeople for each project, with each worker volunteering and offering their services for free.
Chris Griffiths (Unique Heating & Bathrooms)
Location: Wirral (Northern England)
In a tough winter amid a punishing cost-of-living crisis, Chris helped to try to ensure that no elderly people were left without heating by offering half-price work for any elderly people, even offering free fixes for any small jobs.
Paul Barrow (Paul Barrow Builders Ltd)
Location: Ely (Midlands and Southern England)
Paul is a builder who was nominated after generously sponsoring the kits of a local junior netball team which had struggled financially during Covid. The sponsorship ensured that as many as 30 young players could continue to enjoy playing netball.
Rachel Griffiths (Independent)
Location: Flintshire (Wales)
Rachel was nominated by a female apprentice who said that her Instagram posts about her plumbing work and positivity around being a female in a male dominated industry had convinced her to take the plunge and pursue a trade career.
Dave Gordon, General Manager at SGS Engineering explained: “The Local Hero Awards is a great way for us to highlight the amazing generosity of tradespeople up and down the country, and we are delighted to announce our third set of finalists.
“Reading about finalists who are helping the vulnerable tackle the cost-of-living crisis, encouraging female tradespeople, offering a helping hand to trade workers going through a tough time, and more, it is clear that tradespeople are the backbone of this country.
“It is now up to the public to determine who wins this fantastic cash prize. We’re also very happy to say that much like last year, some of the regional finalists will each receive £250 in cash too. Each finalist well deserves their nomination, and we’re excited to see who will take the crown.”
To cast your vote in the Local Hero Awards, please click here.
