6TH JUL 2026
Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal Presents The Honourable Company of Gloucestershire Anne Cadbury Apprentice Awards at Gloucestershire College
There was a real sense of pride and celebration at Gloucestershire College's Cheltenham Campus as apprentices, employers and families gathered to mark the presentation of The Honourable Company of Gloucestershire Anne Cadbury Apprentice Awards. The occasion was made even more special by the presence of the Company's Patron, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, who joined the celebrations and personally presented the awards.
On Monday 6 July, nineteen apprentices from Gloucestershire College, Hartpury University & College and Gloucester Cathedral were recognised for their hard work and commitment as they became the fourth annual cohort to receive grants made possible through the generous support of The Honourable Company of Gloucestershire – a strong champion of apprenticeship training. The awards will enable the apprentices to purchase specialist tools and equipment to further develop their skills in bricklaying, electrical installation, carpentry, engineering, agriculture, and stonemasonry and progress their careers.
As Patron of The Honourable Company of Gloucestershire, Her Royal Highness personally presented the awards in front of family members, employers, and invited guests. She also met former award recipients to hear about the positive impact of these unique grants on their training and career progression.
The Princess Royal’s visit concluded with a guided tour of Gloucestershire College’s Cheltenham campus, including the Construction Centre and the Advanced Digital Academy, where Her Royal Highness had the opportunity to meet construction and cyber security apprentices, as well as academic staff.
The event brought together distinguished guests from across the county, including the Deputy - Lieutenant of Gloucestershire Mickey Morrisey; the Mayor of Cheltenham, Martin Horwood; the Warden of The Honourable Company of Gloucestershire Michael Jones; Principal of Gloucestershire College Matthew Burgess; Principal of Hartpury College Claire Whitworth; The Very Reverend Andrew Zihni Dean of Gloucester, and Senior Stonemason at Gloucester Cathedral James Bayliss.
Speeches and presentations throughout the ceremony highlighted the achievements of this year’s apprentices and the importance of investment in skilled training pathways. The occasion also provided an opportunity for recipients to engage with leading figures in Gloucestershire’s education, business, and civic communities.
Michael Jones Warden of the Honourable Company of Gloucestershire said: “I was once an apprentice myself; it gave me an excellent basis on which to build my career and eventually brought me to Gloucestershire, to be responsible for Smiths electronic business. I feel apprenticeships are of high value for young people, to not only provide career-based skills, but also essential life skills. As Warden of the Honourable Company, I have led the creation of this unique award, which provides cash to an apprentice often when funds are tight at the start of their career. This bursary allows them to purchase essential equipment, which will help them complete or expand their aspirations in their chosen career. In the short time since this award started, we have been able to help 65 apprentices, our aspiration is to expand the scheme to cover the whole of Gloucestershire.”
Speaking about the event, Matthew Burgess, Gloucestershire College Principal said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal to our Cheltenham campus for this special celebration. We are immensely grateful to The Honourable Company of Gloucestershire for its continued commitment to supporting apprentices. Gloucestershire has a long-standing reputation for producing exceptional talent across a wide range of industries, and partnerships like this play a vital role in helping the next generation make the best possible start to their careers.”
The 2026 apprentices from Gloucestershire College are undertaking training in Construction, Trades, and Engineering, while the recipients from Hartpury College are completing agricultural apprenticeship. Gloucester Cathedral’s apprentices are training in stonemasonry.
Gloucestershire College Apprentices (Employers shown in brackets)
• Katherine Adam – Carpentry (Fortem Solutions)
• Callum Caster – Bricklaying (Mike Etheridge Construction)
• Cameron Williams – Groundworks (Sutton BGL Ltd)
• Joseph Harris - Electrical (Lockelec Ltd)
• Liam Minter – Electrical (Safran Landing Systems UK Ltd)
• Wayne Mulhern – Electrical (Gulley Electrical Ltd)
• Preston Pitt – Engineering (Flowtech Fluid Power PLC)
• Rayhan Vahed – Electrical (Midatt Ltd)
• Mitchell Burton – Carpentry (Highgate Construction)
• Noah Morris - Carpentry (K Dobbs Carpentry Ltd)
The awards are a reminder of what can be achieved when education, industry and local philanthropy work together. Every bursary is more than a contribution towards a toolbox or a piece of equipment; it is an investment in a young person, in the preservation of valuable skills and, ultimately, in the future prosperity of Gloucestershire.
Congratulations to every apprentice who received an award! We wish you every success as you continue your professional journey!
