On 26 September, three apprentices from the organisation Building Lives were rewarded for their hard work and commitment with brand new toolboxes containing £100-worth of tools, courtesy of Travis Perkins.

Julien Muhammed, the Hackney Star Apprentice, was delighted with his new toolbox and to receive the award. He was long-term unemployed before joining Building Lives.

Similarly, Ben Hicks, the Sutton Star Apprentice, was previously long-term unemployed. He originally lost his job in the building sector due to an injury, and struggled to re-enter employment. Mr Hicks felt “really proud” of his achievement at the Star Apprentice Awards and was grateful for the new tools.

Peteris Silins, the Camden Star Apprentice, was homeless when he was first referred to Building Lives and was immediately recognised for his strong work ethic, punctuality and ‘can do’ attitude. He has now been offered a full-time position with Acre Lifts. Mr Silins said: "I didn’t expect this at all. I am normally very shy but it feels good to get this recognition."

Travis Perkins' regional director Steve Baldwin explained why donating to Building Lives was so important. “We are proud to be sponsoring Building Lives, a fantastic organisation that is supporting local people into construction apprenticeships," he said. "These apprentices are the future of our industry, so it’s great to be able to help them start their careers by providing them with high-quality toolkits. We will also be supporting the academy further by providing discounted tools for the apprentices.”