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Whitemeadow are continuing to lead the charge on educating and inspiring the next generation of skilled furniture makers.

Earlier this month they hosted their first external Open Day to showcase their Sewing and Upholstery Academies to local students who may be interested in a career in the furniture industry in the future.

Whitemeadow’s in-house Upholstery Trainer and a number of apprentice sewing machinists were on hand with Webs Training to make sure all the students got some valuable hands-on experience on the day.

Mrs Kim Dellar, Careers Lead at Quarrydale Academy commented: “The pupils really enjoyed the visit and they were very interested in seeing how something is made from start to finish. Doing visits like this gives them the opportunity to experience the 'world of work' and hopefully gives them ideas about what they can do for a future career”.

Karen Clarridge, Head of Group HR at Whitemeadow commented: “We had a fantastic day sharing our knowledge and skills with local students, plus educating them on the apprenticeships on offer here at Whitemeadow. We all feel that it is a very worthwhile project, not only promoting the company in the local area, but showing school children in the community that there are some fantastic career opportunities right on their doorstep in the future. We hope to see some of their faces behind a sewing machine or an upholstery bench in a few years’ time!”

Local residents were also offered the opportunity to come along and find out more about career opportunities in the furniture industry. Whitemeadow also work with partners such as job centres, parole services and the Armed Forces Community to provide pathways into work.

Due to the success of the Open Day, Whitemeadow is planning further similar events in the future.

To recognise National Apprenticeship Week, Whitemeadow are launching their very first Apprentice of the Year Competition. The National Apprenticeship Week is a celebration of apprenticeships across England and is a time to recognise and applaud apprenticeship success stories across the country.

As a Company, Whitemeadow want to take this opportunity to promote the success of their own apprentices. The Apprentice of the Year Competition is open to all apprentices working for Whitemeadow Furniture whilst working towards a Modern Upholsterer Level 2 qualification.

The competition will recognise the outstanding achievements by an apprentice who has been working at Whitemeadow, whilst working towards a qualification, and entrants will be judged on their work in the calendar year of 2019.

Judges will be looking for evidence of the commitment the apprentice has shown to their role, to their own development and why they have stood out as one to watch in future.

Whitemeadow are delighted to announce they have been voted the UK's Best Furniture Manufacturer by the readers of Interior's Monthly magazine for a second consecutive year.

Managing Director, Ian Oscroft, commented on the award: “It’s fantastic for Whitemeadow to yet again receive this award. It helps enormously to raise the profile of the business to both our customers, and the wider marketplace, and goes a long way in helping generate a real desire to buy our Sofas, Chairs and Beds. We would like to thank all our customers who have supported us over the years and those who took the time to vote for us on this occasion”.

Having built a reputation based on excellence in manufacturing, Whitemeadow successfully manufacture several product categories-including sofas, upholstered bed frames, sofa beds and accent pieces including chairs, footstools, chaises and ottomans. They aren’t limited to particular style either, they are determined to push the boundaries. Rather than producing a singular structured house style, they offer design styles appealing to a wide spectrum of customers, with styles ranging from timeless classics through to the pure contemporary.

A full list of winners can be viewed here.