An evening worth remembering As part of the association's 80th anniversary celebrations on Friday 23 October 2026, ATLAS presented a series of awards recognising outstanding projects, achievements and individuals across the steeplejack and lightning protection industry. From conserving historic landmarks and protecting critical infrastructure to recognising those dedicated to training and development, and rising stars making their mark, the awards showcased the breadth of talent and expertise across the ATLAS membership. Judging panel Howard Wright, Mike Fuller, Graeme Fisher, Bill Butcher and Peter Bennett OBE faced the difficult task of selecting this year's winners, while noting the exceptionally high standard of entries. The winners for this year's 2026 awards are... Best conservation & heritage project by a steeplejack member Winner: Churchill Specialist Contracting – Bowthorpe Water Tower, Norwich The £539,000 refurbishment, undertaken for Anglian Water, involved work on the 40m water tower, a structure recognised for its architectural and historical significance. Churchill designed and installed a bespoke motorised cradle and suspension system to enable the refurbishment works, impressing the judges with both its specialist approach and the quality of the award submission. Highly commended: Igoe Up – Falkland Palace South Range Roof, Cupar. Best conservation & heritage project by a lightning protection member Winner: Cloud to Ground – Chester Cathedral Recognised for creating a safe and functional lightning protection system while respecting the heritage and character of the 14th-century building. Cathedral records show lightning conductors were first installed in 1871, and over time, seven separate protection systems had been installed across the building. Cloud to Ground carried out repairs and successfully integrated these systems into one modern installation, using components supplied by A.N. Wallis. Highly commended: Osborne Delta (Lightning Conductors) Ltd – King's College London. Best commercial & new build project by a steeplejack member Winner: Delta Steeplejacks – Fawley Refinery Unfortunately, representatives from Delta Steeplejacks were unable to attend the ceremony; ATLAS president, John Jolly, accepted the award on their behalf before leaving the stage. The project involved the design, supply and installation of Dralo safety netting, with the judges recognising the technical complexity and specialist expertise required to complete the work. Best commercial & new build project by a lightning protection member (Sponsored by A.N. Wallis) Winner: Churchill Specialist Contracting – Siemens Energy Converter Station, Ipswich Securing the company's second award of the evening. The winning project involved the installation of a high-performance Level 1 lightning protection system at a converter station in Ipswich for Siemens Energy. The station processes clean energy from an offshore wind farm in the North Sea, transported through 180km of cabling, making it an important piece of energy infrastructure. The project presented several technical challenges, including the installation of 10mm Alimag conductors and specialist fittings, with materials supplied by DEHN UK. Highly commended: Omega Red Group – Parley Anaerobic Digestion Plant. Outstanding individual contribution to training & development (Sponsored by PTSG) Winner: Matthew Waldram, Technical Manager - Omega Red Group Having delivered ATLAS training since 2016, Matthew has made a lasting contribution to learners and the wider industry through his dedication to sharing technical knowledge and supporting professional development. Highly respected by colleagues [...]

Historic chimneys, water towers, cathedrals and major commercial developments are among the projects recognised in the shortlist for the ATLAS Awards 2026, which celebrate excellence in the steeplejack and lightning protection industries. From protecting heritage sites like the Cutty Sark, Chester Cathedral, Falkland Palace and Manchester Town Hall to supporting energy infrastructure, university estates, industrial facilities and commercial developments, the shortlist reflects the breadth of experience across the ATLAS membership. This year’s awards also recognise individuals, with categories for outstanding contributions to training and development, and the next generation of talent. The shortlist has been announced as ATLAS members prepare to celebrate the association’s 80th anniversary, with the winners set to be announced on Friday 23 October 2026 at a black-tie dinner in Stratford-upon-Avon, sponsored by Cuttings. But first, a panel of respected industry professionals with experience spanning lightning protection, steeplejacking and work at height will assess the entries and select their winners. The contenders for the ATLAS Awards 2026 are: Best conservation & heritage project by a steeplejack member Churchill Specialist Contracting – Refurbishment of a 40m water tower in Norwich for Anglian Water Delta Steeplejacks – Inspection and conservation repairs to the 40.2m high historic brick chimney at Hartley’s Village in Aintree for Yep Yep Delta Steeplejacks – Inspection, structural repair and corrosion protection of a 99m vent stack in Cumbria for Futamura Chemicals Omega Red Group – Cutty Sark height safety installation in Greenwich for Ethos Facilities Igoe Up – Falkland Palace South Range Roof in Cupar for the National Trust for Scotland PTSG – Our Town Hall (OTH) in Manchester for Manchester Town Hall Best commercial & new build project by a lightning protection member Sponsored by AN Wallis Churchill Specialist Contracting – Installation of a lightning protection system to a converter station in Ipswich for Siemens Energy Omega Red Group – Parley Anaerobic Digestion Plant near Bournemouth Airport for Eco Sustainable Solutions Raiden Lightning Protection Services – Trinity Lloyds Bank Halifax for SES Engineering Services Cuttings – Google KGX1 in London for Google Hussar Lightning Protection – 100 New Bridge Street in London for SES Ltd Best commercial & new build project by a steeplejack member Delta Steeplejacks – Design, supply and installation of Dralo safety netting at Fawley Refinery for ExxonMobil Best conservation & heritage project by a lightning protection member Osborne Delta (Lightning Conductors) Ltd – Inspection and remediation of lightning protection systems in London for King’s College Cuttings – The Old War Office (OWO) in London for Raffles Hotel PTSG – Lightning protection system at Woolley Hall in Wakefield Cloud to Ground – Chester Cathedral for Elizabeth Butterworth Outstanding individual contribution to training and development Sponsored by the PTSG Centre of Excellence Philip Darby – technical manager, Osborne Delta (Lightning Conductors) Ltd Matthew Waldram – technical manager, Omega Red Group Anthony Colley and Craig Channon – PTSG ATLAS rising star award Sponsored by Cuttings Caden White – lightning protection fitter, Omega Red Group Eve Travers – estimator, Omega Red Group Big congratulations to all those featured in this year’s shortlist and thank you to every member who submitted an entry. We’ll see […]

Pictured above: Will Wylie captured in action (left) and at the National Construction College (NCC) (right). Get to know Will Wylie, steeplejack lecturer at CITB Many in the industry will already know Will, but with his move into lecturing, we wanted to take a closer look at his career, what inspired him to step into training, and what excites him most about helping shape the future of steeplejacking. So, Will, tell us a bit about your background. How did you first get into steeplejacking, and what kind of work have you done over the years? Before I started steeplejacking, I worked on building sites from a young age with my uncles, and I also climbed for sport in my free time. It was my brother Scott Wylie who got me into the steeplejack trade by telling his boss about me. His employer, Stuart Murray from Churchill Steeplejack Ltd, based in Nottingham, gave me an interview and took me on as a trainee. I never looked back from that day and was hooked. I then ended up staying with Churchill's for around 20 years altogether. I completed my training at the CITB College and began working in the trade like a duck to water. I worked all over the country doing jobs from laddering, to rigging scaffolding and cradles, painting and maintenance, and erection and demolition of all types of structures. The most memorable demolition was Cleveland Potash in Redcar. As time went on, I moved towards the rope access side, and then I trained to IRATA level 3. With this, I then travelled offshore around the world, where I worked on oil rigs, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, and the Bataan oil refinery in the Philippines. I also went to Holland, where I worked as a rescue diver. I’ve always been very hands-on with steeplejacking.   Will pictured in The Star newspaper in 2013. Click the photo to read the full article.   What inspired you to make the move into training the next generation of steeplejacks? My move into training the next generation began when I received a call asking if I would be interested in the opportunity to work as a lecturer at the CITB college. At the time, I turned this offer down as I felt I was not ready to leave working as a steeplejack. Some time passed, and I was contacted again with the same opportunity. I felt it was the right moment to change my career. I discussed the opportunity with Churchill, and they all encouraged me to give it a go and said I would be the right candidate for the job, as during my time as a supervisor and as a manager, I had trained several apprentices. What’s the most rewarding moment in your training career at this stage? The most rewarding part of my training career at present was working with my first group of apprentices, seeing them develop and gain the knowledge, skills and confidence to start their careers in the trade. This group enabled me to grow as a lecturer, alongside them, growing in their training journey. And what [...]

The INNSiDE by Meliá Manchester was buzzing with anticipation on Thursday, 26 June 2025, as the Association of Technical Lightning and Access Specialists (ATLAS) gathered for the 2025 ATLAS Apprentice Awards. This special evening celebrated the outstanding achievements of apprentices in the steeplejack and lightning protection industries, marking the exciting beginning of their professional journeys. Over 70 guests attended this occasion, including apprentices, their partners, supportive employers, and industry colleagues who enjoyed an evening filled with camaraderie and entertainment. Hosting the event was well-known comedian and actor Justin Moorhouse, known from Phoenix Nights, QI, and Live At The Apollo. Justin brought laughter and energy to the room, setting the stage for a memorable night. After a lively welcome, attendees enjoyed a dinner accompanied by an engaging comedy show. Following this, the much-anticipated awards ceremony commenced. ATLAS President John Jolly opened the evening with an inspiring speech, highlighting the importance of apprenticeships and applauding the dedication and hard work of all apprentices. The awards ceremony Certificates of completion were presented to enthusiastic cheers from the audience. This year’s graduating apprentices included: Steeplejack Apprentices: Kieron Dalgleish (Pendrich Height Services) Jabe Haggarty (Northern Steeplejacks, Edinburgh) Junaid Hussan (Northern Steeplejacks, Edinburgh) Aaron Jones (Igoe Up) Kenzie McLaren (Igoe Up) Thomas Muldownie (Northern Steeplejacks, Edinburgh) James Smith (Northern Steeplejacks, Edinburgh) Lightning Conductor Engineer Apprentices: Alex Adcock (Churchill Specialist Contracting) Cameron Aldrich (Omega Red Group) Jake Byrom (PTSG Electrical Services) Thomas Halstead-Hughes (PTSG Electrical Services) Peter Janes (R C Cutting & Co) Alfie Jacques (Rafferty Lightning Protection) Levi Knight (Churchill Specialist Contracting) Tyler Langan (Lightning Protection UK) Mark Mackenzie (Omega Red Group) William McManus (Rafferty Lightning Protection) Tylor Montano (Faraday Chapman Lightning Protection Consultants) Callum Rawlings Mason Tutin (Omega Red Group) Caden White (Omega Red Group) Samuel Williams (Omega Red Group) The highlight of the evening was the presentation of two prestigious awards, which are given to the best steeplejack and best lightning conductor engineer apprentice each year. The Ted Fuller Award for Best Steeplejack Apprentice Three apprentices were shortlisted for the Ted Fuller Award, named in honour of a steeplejack legend. Junaid Hussan, Aaron Jones and Thomas Muldownie were all recognised as having shown dedication to the course by going above and beyond standard requirements. Bill Butcher and Will Wylie, CITB instructors, were invited on stage to explain the selection criteria before Bill announced the name of the winning apprentice. Ted Fuller Award Recipient: Junaid Hussan (Northern Steeplejacks, Edinburgh) The A. W. Elliott Award for Best Lightning Conductor Engineer Apprentice Three apprentices were shortlisted for the A. W. Elliott Award, named after a truly remarkable figure in the lightning conductor engineering field. Jake Byrom, Thomas Halstead-Hughes and Tyler Langan were all recognised for their dedication and exceptional performance. Howard Wright, CITB instructor, was invited on stage to explain why the winner had been selected before John Jolly, from premium event sponsor R C Cutting & Co, announced the name of the winning apprentice. Elliott Award Recipient: Jake Byrom (PTSG Electrical Services) Congratulations to Junaid Hussan and Jake Byrom for their exceptional performance and dedication! An end to a great night In closing, Justin Moorhouse expressed […]