Borough Council praised as local firm wins top awards

James Dawson and Lee Lindley (Credit: EBC)

A pioneering Erewash renewable energy company that prides itself on offering opportunities for apprentices praised Erewash Borough Council for supporting local industry – as the firm scooped two prestigious national awards.

Family-owned “smart” solar panel installer LJM Solutions won the double accolade at an “Oscars” night for contractors involved in the housing sector.

The annual gongs salute the “social value” that businesses deliver and are presented by the charity CHIP – Communities and Housing Investment in People.

Delighted managing director Lee Lindley, who recently gave the Erewash Borough Council leader, Cllr James Dawson, a tour of his Long Eaton business, saw two of his employees clinch richly deserved awards at the glittering bash, which was held in Shropshire.

Eve Hunt, 20, won the coveted Career Development Excellence Award after rising to become marketing manager and customer liaison officer just 18 months after she was hired as an apprentice office assistant.

Beaming Eve said: “Apprenticeships offer young people so many opportunities to work, learn and earn. I am so thankful for the chance to start my career and I am so grateful for the awards recognition so early in my journey.” She is due to begin a marketing degree apprenticeship at Nottingham Trent University in September.

Colleague Madi Sharma, 62, was equally thrilled to scoop The Ian Winslet Award – Mentor of the Year. Managing director Lee said: “Madi has played a central role in ensuring the family and business values on which the company was founded remain firmly embedded in the company’s culture.

“Her mentoring supports apprentices, colleagues, business leaders, women in enterprise, local communities and other small and medium-sized enterprises seeking to access retrofit and public sector opportunities. We are incredibly proud of Madi and Eve – and the wider team who help make LJM the kind of business where people can grow, contribute and feel genuinely valued.”

The award winning firm is based at Long Eaton’s Gainsborough Business Park, where it employs 22 staff – around a quarter of them on apprenticeships.

It has been backed by the borough council under the authority’s grant schemes to create jobs – details of which can be found here: Research and Development Grant | Erewash Borough Council.

Lee said: “As a Long Eaton business, we are grateful for the help we have received from Erewash Borough Council, including through its Accelerator and Innovation Grant support. This has really helped us continue to grow with confidence while keeping people and quality at the centre of our plans.”

After meeting with staff at the firm’s HQ, Erewash Borough Council leader, Cllr James Dawson said: “It is fantastic that so many of them are apprentices who clearly have a bright future with a forward-looking company that is a credit to the borough.”