Speller Metcalfe site manager named as ‘future leader’
A Speller Metcalfe site manager has taken home the G4C ‘Future Leader’ award at the West Midlands Constructing Excellence awards.
The best of the best were crowned in front of industry peers on 12 May at Edgbaston Cricket Club.
Sophie Leake, who has been working in construction since 2018, was named as the winner after demonstrating her incredible commitment to best practice within education, site management and community engagement.
Interviewed by a panel of three independent judges, the award goes to an individual who, “is a driving force for industry change,” recognising future industry leaders.
Summing up Sophie’s achievements, Technical Director at Speller Metcalfe, Adrian Speller, said: “It is rare to find someone who consistently goes over and above and who self-assuredly demonstrates their passions as a driver for change as Sophie does.
“Whether through engagement programmes centred around educating both professionals and young people, developing on-site best practice initiatives, as co-chair of Speller Metcalfe’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion group, or in her role as committee member of the Herefordshire & Worcestershire Constructing Excellence group, Sophie pushes for best practice, collaboration, education and industry change at every turn.”
Aiming to ‘recognise the best and inspire the rest’, the Constructing Excellence awards take place annually across 10 regions, after which the regional winners go through to the national awards ceremony later in the year.
Professor Robert Hairstans, Director of the Centre for Advanced Timber Technology at NMITE – Sophie’s current scheme – corroborated Sophie’s award: “Clearly passionate about what she does and her role in ensuring projects are a success, Sophie is a role model for future built environment professionals which will serve to encourage others to consider as a career.”
As well as winning the G4C Future Leader award, another Speller Metcalfe project, St Richard’s Hospice, was ‘Highly Commended’ in the Net Zero category.#
The Speller Metcalfe team delivered Stage 2 of the hospice’s ‘Build 2020’ project, an extension and renovation programme which now houses The Green, a central courtyard at the heart of the hospice, as well as specialist therapeutic rooms, exercise and art studios and additional therapy rooms including horticulture, music and film.