The Sweetest Celebration in Cumbria’s Energy Calendar

The BECBC Awards 2025 brought together hundreds of guests to honour the very best of Cumbria’s energy supply chain. Sponsored by Sellafield Ltd, the evening was a showcase of innovation, collaboration and community spirit.

This year’s awards carried a sweet twist with a chocolate-themed evening, marking the retirement of John Grainger, BECBC’s long-serving Executive Director. In his honour, a new accolade – the John Grainger Lifetime Achievement Award – was introduced, recognising individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the industry.

Emma Jayne Gooch, chair of BECBC’S Nuclear Sector Group, became the first recipient of this prestigious award, reflecting her exceptional commitment to the sector and community.

Head Judge John Grainger added: “When considering the very first recipient of the John Grainger Award, there was never any doubt in my mind who deserved this recognition. From the outset, Emma-Jayne stood out as the clear and outstanding candidate. No one else came close to matching the breadth of her achievements, her dedication to her work and her commitment to her colleagues and the broader business cluster.

Emma-Jayne said: “It was a real shock to win this award, I have been involved with business cluster for 17 years now. I am just passionate about the supply chain, passionate about bringing opportunities to them and helping them work collaboratively together.”

The Social Value Award went to Forth, who not only demonstrated outstanding community impact but also announced they had successfully raised £25,000 for Goodlives. This pledge was made at last year’s awards when they were highly commended in the same category – and they delivered on their promise during their 25th birthday year. To top off an incredible evening, Forth also took home the coveted Business of the Year Award.

Graham Cartwright, Managing Director of Forth said: “Social value isn’t a tick-box for us – it’s who we are. When we pledged £25,000 for Goodlives at last year’s awards, it wasn’t just a target, it was a commitment to our community. To stand here tonight, in our 25th anniversary year, and say we’ve achieved that is a proud moment for every member of our team. Winning Social Value and Business of the Year shows that doing the right thing and growing a successful business go hand in hand.”

The headline sponsor for the awards was Sellafield Ltd. James Riddick, Sellafield Ltd Chief Supply Chain Officer, said: “Congratulations to all the winners and everyone nominated on what was a fabulous night of celebration for our fantastic local supply chain.

“Our success at Sellafield relies on having a diverse and dynamic local supply chain supporting us. These awards proved once again that we have that in abundance here in Cumbria. Well done to everyone at BECBC for organising such a successful event.”

Dianne Richardson, BECBC Chief Executive, added: “What an incredible evening! It was fantastic to see so many members of our energy supply chain come together to celebrate the achievements that make Cumbria such a powerhouse of innovation and collaboration. Every winner truly deserved their recognition, and the atmosphere in the room was electric – from the chocolate-themed surprises to the heartfelt tributes to John Grainger. We’re proud to have raised thousands for the Great North Air Ambulance Service, a charity close to our hearts. Nights like this remind us why our community is so special. Let’s do it all again next year – bigger and better!”

Category	Sponsor	Our winner!
Micro Business	Amentum	Clint Stamper Training
Empowering the Next Generation	Delkia	David Allen IT
Partnership award	Nuclear Waste Services	Cumbria Community Foundation and Sellafield Ltd
Environmental	UKNNL	Cavendish Nuclear
Business of the Year	Sellafield Ltd	Forth
Growing Business	Morgan Sindall	Adamedia
Charity of the Year	Cavendish Nuclear	Always Another Way
Performance Culture	Altrad Babcock	RED Engineering
Social Value	Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick	Forth
Business Person of the Year	Westinghouse	Vicky Brown, No Name Travel
Ambassador of the Year	No Name Travel, Realise HR, iSH	Garry Smith
Rising Star	KBR	Aaron Neary (Ansaldo)
John Grainger Award	Inspira	Emma-Jayne Gooch