Finalists announced for the 2026 Coach Core Awards
Coach Core has announced the finalists in each category for our 2026 awards ceremony which will take place in February.
The Coach Core Awards are a chance to bring together apprentices, graduates, employers, and our incredible partners to celebrate the people and moments that make Coach Core so special. This year’s ceremony will shine a spotlight on the outstanding achievements across our programmes nationwide and introduce exciting new award categories that reflect the growth and innovation of the past year.
The ceremony will take place at City Hall, London (Newham) on February 3rd.
I’m genuinely inspired by this year’s nominees. As the number of young people and employers we support continues to grow, it feels right to introduce new awards that recognise an even wider group of apprentices and partners. It’s brilliant to see finalists from our expanded apprenticeship standards - like Business Administrator - alongside new employers and those who’ve backed us for years.
This event is always the highlight of my year. The standard of nominations keeps rising, reflecting the increasing impact apprentices and employers are having in communities across the country. Each finalist represents just a small glimpse of the young people we support, yet their stories show the powerful difference they make - breaking down barriers, supporting mental health, fostering inclusion, and empowering others.
I’m also incredibly proud of the people who make this possible, from mentors to those working behind the scenes. Our new awards celebrate their vital contributions.
And thankfully, the tough decisions sit with our external judging panel - funders, corporate and strategic partners, and, most importantly, young people, including last year’s winners. Their insight and lived experience ensure every nomination is given the care it deserves. I hope these stories inspire you as much as they inspire me.
Finalists
Apprentice of the Year
As part of the Coach Core 2026 Awards, we’re recognising apprentices’ varied journeys by celebrating three award categories:
Growth – For an apprentice who has shown outstanding personal or professional development. This might include increased confidence, communication, consistency, or skill development over time.
Impact – Celebrating an apprentice who has made a meaningful difference to others – whether that’s within their workplace, peer group, or wider community.
Spotlight – Given to the apprentice whose leadership on a particular piece of work or project deserves to be highlighted – something that turned heads, solved a tough problem, or added unique value.
Apprentice of the Year – Growth
Nicholas Greenslade
Essex, Fusion Leisure
Anisa Hussain
Nottinghamshire & Derby, Epic Partners
Caitlin Randall
Leicester, Leicester City in the Community
Apprentice of the Year – Impact
Sophie Marshall
National, England Boxing
Haider Bashir
West Midlands, Our Community Foundation
Isabel Green
National, Fit4Sport
Apprentice of the Year – Spotlight
Lauren Fell
Manchester, Archery GB
Billie Jean Goodyer
Yorkshire, Bradford Bulls Foundation
Harriet Adwick
National, Active 4 Today
Graduate
This award celebrates a graduated Coach Core apprentice who has gone on to achieve remarkable things since their programme finished.
Mira Teodorescu
Essex
Kyle Syrett
Leicester
Rhys Gordon
West Midlands
Employer of the Year
The Coach Core 2026 Awards split this award into two categories. Both celebrate an organisation that embraces the Coach Core ethos and uses the benefits of partnership working to support the Coach Core apprentices they employ:
Sustained Impact – Recognising a long-standing employer who has consistently demonstrated high-quality delivery across multiple cohorts. This award highlights organisations that have supported apprentices year after year, built progression pathways, and made apprenticeships a key part of their workforce.
Breakthrough – Celebrating an organisation that’s made an immediate and powerful impact in their first year with Coach Core. This could include how they’ve embedded the apprentices, the support they’ve offered, or how they’ve embraced the values of the programme from the outset.
Employer of the Year – Sustained Impact
Leicester City in the Community
Leicester
Epic Partners
Nottinghamshire & Derby
Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation
Middlesbrough
Your Trust
Manchester
Employer of the Year – Breakthrough
Bath Rugby
Bristol
Snow Camp
National
Bradford Bulls Foundation
Yorkshire
Volume 1 Climbing
Sussex
Mentor
This award celebrates an individual in an organisation that employs a Coach Core apprentice who has surpassed expectations in supporting their apprentice(s).
Maggie Davidson
Surrey, RE N-GAGE
Bashir Dad & Zain Khan
West Midlands, Our Community Foundation
Daniel Thompson
Middlesbrough, Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation
Unsung Hero
This award celebrates someone in the Coach Core network who has made a significant contribution to our mission, has demonstrated Coach Core values and deserves to be recognised for their support and dedication to the programme.
Jane Barr, Flora Hewitt-Brake and Sarah Thake (Collinson Group)
Mel Chell and James Lovett
Katie Traxton
The Judges
The difficult job of selecting winners from these worthy nominees will be undertaken by an external panel of judges from both inside and beyond the sectors we work in, including representatives from Solaris Law, UT Bank, Collinson Group, Lifetime, Amazing Apprenticeships, Sport England, Active Partnerships Network, UK Sport and CIMSPA – as well as Madi, Skye, Aaron and Diavian – all graduates of the Coach Core programme and award winners in their own right.
Our Sponsors
Lifetime Training are proud sponsors of Coach Core Awards.
Lifetime is one of the UK’s leading training providers delivering innovative learning strategies through industry experienced trainers curriculum experts and leading edge technology.