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Bagnalls Shortlisted For Employer Of The Year At British Business Awards



National painting contractor Bagnalls has been named on the shortlist for the Employer of the Year category at the British Business Awards 2026 – one of the most competitive business awards in the UK.


The announcement places Bagnalls among seven other shortlisted organisations in the Employer of the Year category, including Sodexo, Stagecoach and Highland Spring Group. The competition received a record number of more than 400 entries this year, with shortlisted companies independently evaluated across five core pillars: business performance, innovation, workforce and culture, customer impact, and contribution to society and the wider economy.


The awards ceremony takes place at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) on 30 April 2026, with up to 2,000 business leaders expected to attend. This year's event features a fireside conversation with Oscar-winning actor and humanitarian George Clooney, a keynote address from Sir Bob Geldof, and co-hosting from Rob Brydon and Elaine C Smith. The ceremony will also raise funds for Social Bite, the UK homelessness charity.


Shortlisted businesses also form the inaugural British Business Leaders List, published in partnership with The Times and The Sunday Times, recognising organisations setting the standard for modern enterprise across the UK.


With over 150 years in the painting and decorating industry, Bagnalls has built a reputation that extends well beyond the quality of its paintwork. Last year, the company's Community Paintbrush scheme reached more than 49,000 people across the country through charitable painting projects and donations.


Alongside this, Bagnalls runs one of the most highly regarded apprenticeship programmes in the sector, with a significant proportion of its current management team having begun their careers at Bagnalls as apprentices. That commitment to growing talent from within was formally recognised last year, when Bagnalls won the Aptem Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Award at the National Apprenticeship and Skills Awards 2025 – beating household names including Tesco and Kier Group to take the national title.


The company also received a prestigious Princess Royal Training Award in 2025, in recognition of its apprenticeship and Management Trainee schemes. The commitment to EDI was again recognised at this ceremony, with Bagnalls also taking home an EDI Commendation – one of only seven companies, out of a total 57, to be honoured in this way.


Stephen Bagnall, Group Managing Director at Bagnalls, commented:

"Being shortlisted for Employer of the Year at the British Business Awards is a huge honour – and one that belongs to every member of our team. Our people are what set Bagnalls apart, and this recognition reflects the culture we have worked hard to build: one that champions apprenticeships, values diversity, rewards hard work and gives individuals the opportunity to build long and rewarding careers."

"To be shortlisted alongside businesses of this calibre, in a year that attracted more than 400 entries, tells us we are definitely doing something right! We look forward to representing the painting and decorating industry in Edinburgh on 30 April."


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Aldi Scotland has awarded £2,500 to Gogar Park Young Curlers through its Scottish Sport Fund as part of a special one-off Champion’s Award launched to celebrate Scotland’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.


Gogar Park Young Curlers will use the funding from Aldi Scotland to invest in essential equipment, including sliding shoes, brushes, coaching aids and team uniforms. This support will help the club provide more inclusive and accessible entry-level opportunities, ensuring that every child has the chance to take part in the sport, regardless of their access to equipment.


Mihoko Pooley, member of Gogar Park Young Curlers, said:

“This funding from Aldi Scotland will make a huge difference to our club and the young people who take part in our sessions. Curling can be difficult to access without the right equipment, so being able to provide shoes, brushes and uniforms will help us welcome more children and give them the best possible start."

Founded in 1979, Gogar Park Young Curlers is a junior curling club based in Edinburgh with around 70 members under the age of 21, mainly from Edinburgh and the Lothians.


The club operates weekly Sunday morning sessions at Curl Edinburgh between September and March, supported by volunteer coaches and parent helpers.


Young curlers from the club compete in a wide range of internal and national competitions, from Under 12s to Under 21s leagues, travelling across Scotland from Stranraer to Inverness. The club has a strong track record of developing elite talent, with former members Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat going on to win Olympic gold and silver medals at Beijing 2022 and set to represent Team GB again at Milano Cortina 2026.


Pooley continued:

“With the Winter Olympics coming up in 2026, there is a real buzz around curling just now. This support will help us build on that excitement, grow participation and continue our proud history of developing young curlers.”

The Scottish Sport Fund Champion’s Award was introduced as a celebratory extension of Aldi Scotland’s long-running sports funding initiative, recognising a single club that demonstrates a strong commitment to developing young sporting talent. The award aims to harness the national pride sparked by Scotland’s return to the World Cup for the first time in 28 years and invest it back into grassroots sport.


Sandy Mitchell, Regional Managing Director, Aldi Scotland, said:

“Scotland’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup was a huge moment for the nation, and we wanted to celebrate that success by giving something back through our Scottish Sport Fund."

“The Scottish Sport Fund Champion’s Award recognises clubs that go above and beyond to support young people, and Gogar Park Young Curlers is a fantastic example of that commitment. We are proud to support the next generation of sporting champions across Scotland.”


Aldi Scotland introduced its Scottish Sport Fund in 2016 to support individuals of all ages and abilities to get involved in physical activity in their local communities. Over the past decade, the retailer has supported more than 650 clubs across Scotland, donating over £500,000 to improve access to sport at a grassroots level.


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