Allison Homes sponsors Inspire Education Group’s Student Awards and celebrates apprentice’s win

We proudly sponsored Inspire Education Group’s (IEG) Student Awards, where our own apprentice, Leoni McDougall, took home the award for Construction Excellence.

IEG is a provider of further and higher education across Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire, comprising Peterborough College, Stamford College and University Centre Peterborough. Supporting over 10,000 students, the group collaborates with employers, communities and partners to transform lives through innovative learning.

On Monday 1^st June, the IEG Student Awards were hosted in Peterborough to celebrate the achievements of the group’s students.

As a long-standing partner of IEG, we sponsored the Construction Excellence Award by providing £200 worth of prizes. Helen Jones, our HR Systems Manager, also presented the award on the night to two winners, Leoni McDougall and Joseph Summers.

Leoni joined us as a bricklaying apprentice in 2025 and is currently based at the Upwell Meadows development in March, which we’re delivering for Accent Housing. Already proving herself as a rising star in the industry, Leoni has also recently won the regional heat of the Guild of Bricklayers Championship, and will be taking part in the national finals in Leeds this month (June).

We work closely with IEG to deliver our successful apprenticeship scheme, which launched in 2021 and has trained over 30 apprentices in various trades.

Open to students across the region, including those at Peterborough College and Stamford College, where we’re also a sponsor of the innovative Modern Methods of Construction Centre, the scheme provides young people with the opportunity to learn new skills, gain invaluable experience and see first-hand how new homes developments are brought to life.

Zoe Evans, HR Director at Allison Homes, said: “Our partnership with Inspire Education Group is hugely important to us and we’re thrilled to have supported their Student Awards. It was extra heartwarming for us to see our very own Leoni receive the Construction Excellence Award, we’ve been incredibly impressed by her talent and dedication, and can’t wait to see what she achieves next.

“At Allison Homes, we’re incredibly passionate about supporting and investing in the next generation of talented workers. By working with IEG, we’re helping to combat the skills shortage within our industry and finding innovative new ways to inspire students, and we’re looking forward to continuing our work with them.”

James Whybrow, Vice Principal of Apprenticeships and Higher Education at Inspire Education Group, said: “We are so grateful to Allison Homes for their sponsorship of this year’s awards. They are a truly valued partner who shares our passion for nurturing future talent. Through their dedication to apprenticeships, industry engagement, and local learning opportunities, they continue to create invaluable pathways for students across our region.

“Celebrating Leoni as the winner of the Construction Excellence Award was a standout moment of the evening. Her success highlights exactly what happens when hard-working students are backed by exceptional employers and high-quality education. We are incredibly proud of everything she has achieved and can’t wait to see her career flourish.”

Allison Homes Web Article: 12th June 2026