Two Scottish tradespeople in running for Local Hero Award

A property maintenance professional who has been taking his elderly customers for a fish supper and a roofer who offered free emergency repairs to NHS staff and key workers are among the finalists in the Local Hero Awards held by SGS Engineering to celebrate tradespeople who supported their communities during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Two Scottish tradespeople in running for Local Hero Award

Gordon Graham

Earlier this year, Brits were encouraged to nominate tradespeople in their area who had gone above and beyond to help their community during the Covid-19 pandemic. The nominations page closed earlier this month, and the experts at SGS and Kielder went through the dozens of heart-warming entries before selecting eight finalists.

Gordon Graham from GG Property Maintenance in Glasgow was nominated for going above and beyond to help out customers and friends. He’s been taking his elderly customers for a fish supper, dropping off cakes and pies to office staff in his spare time and generally trying to make sure everyone is okay before himself.



Matthew Farmer from MF Roofing in Bridge of Earn offered free emergency roof repairs to NHS staff and key workers for anyone within 20 miles of the Bridge of Earn. He said that he didn’t do it for gratification, but because he wanted to say thank you for all their hard work during these difficult times.

People across the UK are being invited to cast their vote in the competition in the hope of securing the grand prize of £1,000, a Kielder Tool Kit worth over £500 and the title of the nation’s ‘Local Hero 2021’. Five finalists will also take home a £250 runners-up cash prize too.

Voting closes on Monday 29th and the winner and runners up that secured the most votes will be unveiled on March 31.

Two Scottish tradespeople in running for Local Hero Award

Matthew Farmer

The other finalists are:



  • Adam Clarke from Adam Clarke Building, Walgrave, Northamptonshire (England)

During the Covid pandemic, Adam launched a project to complete home projects for NHS workers. A Northamptonshire NHS worker was the first to be chosen. Adam will be completing the job for her – worth around £2,500 - completely free of charge. Adam said that he really wanted to give back.

  • Fastlane Autocare, St Helens, Lancashire (England)

The team at Fastlane Autocare have been offering free NHS car checks with collection and delivery, and free brake checks for taxi drivers too – going above and beyond to help key workers during Covid.



  • Graham Nash from Pinnacle Builders, Leeds, West Yorkshire (England)

Graham has helped more than 300 people who have been ripped off by cowboy builders. He’s done work for free, and often found other tradespeople to help too, saving people thousands of pounds and making homes habitable and comfortable again. He has also offered invaluable support and guidance on who to talk to if you’ve been ripped off by a cowboy builder.

His videos on Facebook have had more than 250,000 views and Graham has received more than 500 calls from people seeking his help or advice.

  • Jamie Scullion from JS Electrical & Property Maintenance, Sevenoaks, Kent (England)

Jamie offered free emergency call outs to NHS staff fighting the Coronavirus. He had a phone call from a couple whose fuse board was tripped, so their cooker wasn’t working. Jamie went around, sorted it, and found out they worked for the NHS when he was talking to them. When they asked him how much it cost, he said ‘nothing’ – he didn’t want to take money from people who were already doing so much to help. At that point he then decided to offer the same thing for all NHS workers who might need an emergency electrician.



  • Jeff Harlow from Jeff Harlow Electrical, Lancaster, Lancashire (England)

Jeff worked long hours helping to get the Nightingale hospital in Manchester set up. He was one of four electricians left to finish up the project and test it. He was leaving home at 5:30am to get to the site, to get the project finished on schedule.

  • Wayne Bond from Bond Electrical, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland (England)

Wayne was nominated by a customer who felt he had gone above and beyond to help them and their mother during a difficult time. He was very responsive, arrived quickly on the job, fixed it, and then did not charge the customer for the work. He also helped several other elderly customers who were worried and panicked; rushing over to get the job done and saving several people a huge bill.



Dave Gordon, general manager at SGS Engineering, explained: “The Local Hero Awards are designed to celebrate the most generous and thoughtful plumbers, builders, electricians, joiners, gardeners, and mechanics who offered valued help to those in need, as a result of the Coronavirus crisis.

“We knew that many tradespeople had been incredibly considerate during this difficult year and had really gone out of their way to support people – particularly key workers – but we were really gobsmacked when we went through all the nominations.

“It’s now in the nation’s hands to decide who wins this coveted prize. We’re delighted that all of the finalists will each receive £250 in cash too – it’s our way of saying thank you on behalf of those they’ve helped.”


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