‘Fab Four’ carpentry students honoured at IOC

7 January 2021


Four students in their third year of carpentry & joinery studies at college are the first to receive an inaugural 3rd Year Student Award from the Institute of Carpenters (IoC).

Matthew Mead, a student at the Building Crafts College in London, won the overall prize for the best 3rd Year Student, and receives a set of tools donated by Axminster Tools & Machinery.

Martin Gilmore, student at Newcastle College, Phillip Bentley, student at Accrington & Rossendale College (part of the Nelson & Colne College Group), and Owen Phillips, student at Coleg Sir Gâr’s Ammanford Campus in Wales, all received High Commended for their entries, and an Axminster Tools voucher.

This is the first IoC 3rd Year Student Award, held amongst the colleges which hosted and launched a ‘City Hub’ grouping for the Institute in the last 18 months.

The Institute plans to run the award scheme again in 2021, widening it further amongst its network of 30 College members.

Judges of the Award were IoC board member Martin Corton of Rainleaf Artisan Flooring, YouTube carpentry & joinery celebrity and IoC Fellow, Robin Clevett of UK Construction and the SkillBuilder channel, and Institute President, Geoff Rhodes.

“Carpentry & joinery is a ‘calling’ and it looks like these four students have a wonderful future ahead of them,” said Martin Corton of Rainleaf and IoC Board member.