In an online version of the popular awards, Les Copestake is named The Grand Winner.
The Dulux Select Decorators Awards 2020 were held on Friday 19 February 2021; and following a challenging year for decorators, the members of the scheme came together for a virtual night of celebration.
Les Copestake of LPC Painting Ltd was revealed as the overall winner of the awards in recognition of his professional expertise and commitment to continuously exceeding customer expectations with the quality of his work, as well as his dedication to the trade and Select Decorators scheme.
Eleven category winners were also recognised at the virtual awards evening, with Dulux Select Decorators Lead Vickie Mather, and judges Dulux Academy Skills Development Consultants Mark Rigby and Tony Pearson-Young, as well as Dulux Creative Director Marianne Shillingford, taking to Zoom to announce the winners to a crowd of more than 80 decorators.
The category winners were announced as:
- Best Newcomer: Paul Sharpe
- Adding Colour to People’s Lives: Rachel Bates & Luke Watts
- Use of Dulux Colour of the Year: Carl Lesh
- Interior Project under £2,500: Darren Whitfield
- Interior Project over £2,500: Les Copestake
- Sprayed Finish: Martin Connor
- Exterior Project: Aaron Davidson
- Wallpaper under £1,500: Rachel bates
- Wallpaper over £1,500: Simon Medlin
- Apprentice Mentor: Simon Medlin with Jordan Warne
- Scheme Supporter: Tony Mccawley
Overall champion Les, said: “It was an honour to be named as this year’s Grand Winner. After such a difficult year for everyone it was wonderful to be able to look back on 2020 and feel proud of the work I had done.
“My team and I did everything we could to ensure customers felt safe and we were able to transform people’s homes at a time when having a beautiful living space was more important than ever.
“It was a complete surprise to have my work recognised after decades of dedication and commitment to doing this job to the best of my abilities. It is the cherry on the cake.”
Vickie Mather, Dulux Select Decorators Lead, said: “I was honoured to award our Grand Winner Les, who has been a Dulux Select Decorator for a number of years. His professional skills combined with his eagerness to get involved with the scheme make him a brilliant ambassador for Dulux Select Decorators.
“This year has been a year like no other for members, and we’ve worked hard to bring the community together virtually, with our own virtual pub the Fitch & Bristle, and events like race nights and cocktail making, so to have 80 people join us for the awards evening of fun and celebration was a fitting tribute to everything we’ve done in the past year.”
The Dulux Select Decorators scheme enrols professional decorators who undergo rigorous assessments to become members – they must have at least three years’ experience in the trade and have run their own business for a minimum of 12 months.
By becoming members, they are entitled to use of Dulux branded assets, have access to subsidised rates on Dulux Academy courses and become part of a supportive community, with invites to social events and an exclusive forum with other Dulux Select Decorators. Members also receive monthly news updates, regular competitions and product discount vouchers.
See here for more on Dulux Select Decorators and to join the scheme.