The Honourable Company of Gloucestershire presented the 2025 Anne Cadbury Apprentice award grants on Friday 4 July at Hartpury University and College, in a joint celebration with Gloucestershire College, Hartpury College, and attended by the Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire, Edward Gillespie OBE and High Sheriff, Julie Kent MBE.
Seventeen talented apprentices from across the county were recognised at the annual ceremony. The bursaries, generously funded by The Honourable Company, supports apprentices by helping them purchase essential tools and equipment to further their careers in skilled trades, farming, engineering, and construction.
The scheme is in its third year and while the current scheme is only open to apprentices in Cheltenham and Gloucester, The Honourable Company would like to extend the scheme to the whole of Gloucestershire.
The Lord Lieutenant was formally welcomed to the ceremony at Hartpury House, where he joined representatives from both colleges, and award announcers - Claire Whitworth, Deputy Principal at Hartpury College, and Julie Tegg, Director of Apprenticeships and Employer Training at Gloucestershire College. The event featured speeches, presentations, and an opportunity for apprentices to meet key figures in Gloucestershire’s education and business communities.
The event concluded with light refreshments and photo opportunities, celebrating the achievements of Gloucestershire’s next generation of skilled professionals.
Michael Jones, a former apprentice himself, runs the apprentices awards programme. He said: "There are a lot of apprentice awards in Gloucestershire, but we wanted to do something different. I was an apprentice and an Apprentice of the Year. It was good fun, but I would have appreciated money early on to help me through my apprenticeship.
"A lot of apprentices struggle financially during their training and often need a cash injection to support things like buying equipment. We started to work with Hartpury College and Gloucestershire College to see how best to support craft apprentices in building, engineering, joinery, plumbing, electricians and farm working trades. The scheme is in its third year and made 10 awards in the first year. Since it began, awards have been presented to 46 apprentices, totalling £23,000. We’re looking forward to being able to support more apprentices in future years.”
Speaking about the event, Claire Whitworth said: “It has been a real honour for us to welcome the Lord Lieutenant to Hartpury for such a happy occasion. This celebration highlights the dedication and resilience of our apprentices, many of whom are already making a meaningful impact in their fields. Thanks to the Honourable Company’s generosity, they can continue their professional journey with the resources they need to succeed. It’s an inspiring example of how partnership and investment in young people can shape the future of Gloucestershire’s industries.”
Julie Tegg echoed this sentiment, adding: “We’re incredibly grateful to The Honourable Company for their continued support of our construction and engineering apprentices. Their generous bursaries help remove financial barriers by covering the essential cost of tools and equipment — giving our learners the strongest foundation to succeed in their chosen careers. This valued partnership has made a real difference over the years, and we’re proud to be working together to support the next generation of skilled workforce.”
The 2025 recipients from Hartpury College are all completing a Level 2 General Farm Worker Apprenticeship, while apprentices from Gloucestershire College span engineering, electrical, and carpentry trades.
Hartpury College Apprentices (Employers shown in brackets)
- Bryce Mather – (Plusterwine Farm)
- Jasper Winwood-Hall – (Alkerton Green Farm)
- Sam Dearman – (Kingham Hill Farm)
- Jack Dash – (Redhill Farm)
- Elian Taylor – (Earthcott Green Farm)
Gloucestershire College Apprentices (Employers shown in brackets)
- Oliver Faubel – Engineering (Hydro Aluminium)
- Zachary Rose – Engineering (Renishaw)
- Ellery Millar – Electrical (UBE Communications)
- Harvey Storey – Electrical (Vyelight Electrical Services)
- Jacob Storey – Electrical (GRP Electrical)
- Kyle Bick – Electrical (Gloucester Electrical Contractors)
- Emily Dowdeswell – Engineering (GE Aviation Systems)
- Henry Bendle – Engineering (Research Performance Machining Ltd)
- Nemo Antoniou – Engineering (DKM Sheet Metal Company)
- Amy Brown – Carpentry (Tombs Developments)
- Archie Phillips – Carpentry (JHF Construction)
- Finlay Davis – Carpentry (Mayfair Carpentry & Joinery)
- Jacob Hendy – Carpentry (Oaksmith Building)
Among this year’s recipients was Amy Brown, a carpentry apprentice at Gloucestershire College, who was named Apprentice of the Year 2024 at the National Apprenticeship Awards.
