Richard Appears on ITV News

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Warren’s Founder Owner, Richard Bridgman recently found himself in front of the cameras, for an interview with ITV News.

The opportunity came about when Richard’s friend, Gina Long MBE was approached by ITV to be filmed at her home for a feature on the Honours List. As there wasn’t enough airtime available for both of them, Gina kindly suggested Richard, and the filming took place at her house.

Richard admits the process was quite daunting:

“It’s a strange experience having a camera right in your face. The filming takes a long time, but so much gets cut down – so it can end up as just a few minutes on screen.”

The feature reflected on the significance of receiving an Honour. Richard was awarded his OBE by the late Queen Elizabeth II, in recognition of his work over many years to support apprenticeships both locally and nationally. Today, the tradition continues under King Charles.

Richard says he was humbled to be recognised:

“When I received the letter from the Queen, I felt that I knew others who were far more deserving than me. I feel many get an Honour just for doing their job, and this needs to change. Let’s hope that more recognition is given to people who have dedicated their lives to something they’re passionate about. I must admit though, it was one of the proudest days of my life.”

Richard was accompanied to Buckingham Palace by his wife Sharon and their children, where his medal was presented by Prince William. After the ceremony, the celebrations continued with a lunch surrounded by 16 family members and friends.

📺 You can watch Richard’s ITV News appearance  below (skip to just after 6 minutes in).

Enginuity Skills Awards 2025: A Memorable Evening for Warren’s Founder

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On 3rd July, Warren’s Founder Owner, Richard Bridgman attended the prestigious Enginuity Skills Awards in London as a special guest. Hosted by Enginuity. the charity dedicated to closing the skills gap in UK engineering and manufacturing – this event brought together leading businesses, apprentices, and educators to celebrate excellence and innovation in skills development.

Richard’s journey to the event began with a train from Cambridge North to King’s Cross, followed by the Tube to Vauxhall.
“I felt a bit out of place travelling in my dinner suit, especially on a very hot afternoon,” Richard reflected.

After a 15-minute walk from the tube station to the venue, Richard arrived at a packed awards ceremony with more than 300 prize winners and guests. By a stroke of luck, he immediately bumped into Phil Smith CBE – the evening’s keynote speaker and recently appointed Chair of Skills England, working directly with government to shape skills policy. The evening also provided a chance to catch up with Fiona McGarry, Warren’s primary contact at Enginuity.

The pre-dinner drinks reception was a valuable opportunity for Richard to network and reconnect with friends and colleagues, many of whom he hadn’t seen for some time. He was seated at the table of EAL – the organisation responsible for setting qualifications, standards and assessments for apprenticeships – who had kindly extended the invitation.

As the evening unfolded, guests enjoyed a well-prepared meal, as well as speeches and awards recognising outstanding achievements by both businesses and individual student prize winners. After dinner, Richard took the opportunity to meet the head trainer from BAE Systems, one of the UK’s largest apprenticeship providers, who train thousands of apprentices annually.

The journey home, however, provided its own memorable twist! After leaving the event at 11:15pm, Richard made his way back to King’s Cross only to discover that his ticket for the 12:10 train was valid for 12:10pm — not 12:10am.
“I started to panic,” Richard admitted, “but luckily managed to buy another ticket. Unfortunately, that only got me as far as Cambridge Central. The whole journey back I was worrying about whether I’d be able to get a taxi to Cambridge North… but thankfully, I did. I finally arrived home at 2:15am.”

His eventful night didn’t end there – Richard was up again at 6:00am the next morning, taking his granddaughter to Addenbrooke’s Hospital for her work experience placement.

Despite the late-night travel saga, Richard summed up the event as a valuable and rewarding evening, reinforcing Warren’s commitment to supporting skills development and recognising the vital role apprenticeships play in strengthening the future of UK manufacturing and engineering.

We won an award at the Apprenticeships Norfolk Awards 2025!

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We are proud to announce that we have won the prestigious ‘Medium-sized Apprenticeships Employer of the Year (50-249 employees)’ award at the Apprenticeships Norfolk Awards 2025.

The ceremony took place on Wednesday, 12th February at Norwich City Football Club, where our HR Director, Estee accepted the award on behalf of the company.

The Apprenticeships Norfolk Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of apprentices, managers, mentors, and businesses across the county. This year’s event welcomed around 200 guests to honour the incredible contributions made to apprenticeship programmes.

Estee expressed her gratitude, stating: “We are thrilled to receive this award. Apprenticeships are at the heart of our company’s growth and success. This recognition is a testament to the hard work of our apprentices and the dedication of our team in supporting and nurturing new talent in the manufacturing and engineering industry.”

Apprenticeships Norfolk highlighted the importance of the awards, saying: “Our annual ‘Apprenticeships Norfolk Awards 2025’ shone a light on the exceptional achievements of apprentices, managers/mentors and businesses right across the county – celebrating their successes with around 200 guests at Norwich City Football Club.”

This accolade reflects Warren’s commitment to providing high-quality apprenticeship opportunities and supporting the next generation of skilled professionals in the manufacturing and engineering sectors.

We are immensely proud of this achievement and look forward to continuing our work to create valuable opportunities for apprentices.

 

Estee Ross Clinches Norfolk Apprenticeships Award for Mentor / Manager of the Year!

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In a proud moment for Warren, Estee Ross, our HR Director, was honoured with the prestigious Norfolk Apprenticeships award for Mentor/Manager of the year! The accolade was presented to her on Wednesday night, the 7th of February, at a grand ceremony held at The Assembly House in Norwich.

The event, which witnessed a remarkable turnout, saw attendees from various sectors, all gathered to celebrate excellence in in all things apprenticeship. Adding a delicious touch to the occasion, catering was thoughtfully provided by the commis chef apprentices from City College in Norwich, further highlighting the collaborative spirit of the apprenticeship community.

Estee’s award was sponsored by Investors in People and represented by Lord Mayor of Norwich, Cllr James Wright, the attendees recognised Estee Ross’s outstanding contributions to mentoring and guiding apprentices.

Apprenticeships Norfolk have lauded Estee’s dedication and hard work and have said. “Mentoring an apprentice takes dedication and hard work, and Estee has shown not only this, but has also pushed her own boundaries, all whilst mentoring 12 apprentices! From the never-ending support of those on-programme and incredible quotes from apprentices, to working with the local community offering pre-apprenticeship work experience. Estee really embodies being a champion of apprenticeships. Well done Estee!”

In response to the recognition, Estee expressed gratitude and emphasised the importance of nurturing talent and fostering growth within the workforce: “Receiving this award is a tremendous honour, and I am truly humbled by the recognition,” said Estee Ross. “Mentoring apprentices has been an immensely rewarding experience, and I look forward to continuing to support and inspire young talents in their journey towards excellence.”

Warren extends heartfelt congratulations to Estee Ross for this well-deserved achievement, reflecting the company’s steadfast commitment to mentorship, innovation, and excellence in the manufacturing sector.

Congratulations Estee on your well-deserved award!