Redcar Roofing Apprentice Wins BMI Apprentice of the Year 2026
From Highly Commended in 2025 to a national winner in 2026, it’s been two incredible years for our roofing apprentices at Samuel Moore Roofing and Redcar & Cleveland College.**
Last year, our apprentice Nathan Binnall was awarded Highly Commended at the national BMI Apprentice of the Year Awards, finishing runner-up in the pitched roofing category.
This year, Alexander Dempsey went one better and was crowned **BMI Redland Apprentice of the Year 2026 for Pitched Roofing**.
And I was absolutely buzzing.
Not because Samuel Moore Roofing had won something, but because one of the lads had.
There’s something different about watching someone you’ve helped train and develop get recognised on a national stage.
## A National Achievement for Roofing in Redcar and Teesside
The BMI Apprentice of the Year competition brings together some of the most promising young roofers from across the country.
Held at the BMI Academy in South Cerney, Gloucestershire, the 2026 competition saw 20 apprentices compete across pitched and flat roofing.
Over two days, the finalists were tested on their technical knowledge, practical understanding, communication skills and ability to deal with challenges.
Alex came away as the national winner in pitched roofing, representing both Samuel Moore Roofing and Redcar & Cleveland College.
It’s a fantastic achievement for Alex personally, and something everyone involved in his development should be proud of.
You can read more about the competition and Alex’s success on the [official BMI Group Apprentice of the Year 2026 winners page](https://www.bmigroup.com/uk/about-us/news/aoty-winners/).
## Two Years, Two Nationally Recognised Roofing Apprentices
What makes this even more special is that we’ve now had two apprentices recognised nationally in consecutive years.
– **2025 – Nathan Binnall:** Highly Commended, BMI Apprentice of the Year, Pitched Roofing.
– **2026 – Alexander Dempsey:** National Winner, BMI Redland Apprentice of the Year, Pitched Roofing.
That’s something I’m incredibly proud of.
Both lads have put the work in, developed their skills and shown what young people entering the roofing industry can achieve.
And achievements like these don’t happen by accident.
## Building Something Special at Redcar & Cleveland College
Alongside running Samuel Moore Roofing, I also teach roofing, slating and tiling at Redcar & Cleveland College.
And I genuinely believe we’re starting to build something special there.
Getting young people into the roofing industry is one thing. Teaching them properly, giving them opportunities, setting high standards and showing them where this trade can take them is another.
There’s a lot of time and effort that goes into developing apprentices, both in college and on site.
We’re fortunate to have some talented young roofers coming through, and it’s brilliant to see that talent being recognised nationally.
It’s also important for the wider roofing industry across Teesside and the North East.
Having access to quality roofing training locally means employers can develop skilled tradespeople without apprentices having to travel miles away for their education.
That’s good for our young people, good for local roofing businesses and good for the future of the trade.
## Investing in the Next Generation of Roofers
At Samuel Moore Roofing, we’ve always believed in giving young people an opportunity to learn a proper trade.
Roofing is a skilled profession, whether that’s traditional slating and tiling, heritage roofing, modern roofing systems or working with new technologies such as solar.
It takes time, patience and a lot of practical experience to become a good roofer.
But when you see apprentices like Nathan and Alex achieving what they have, it makes all that hard work worthwhile.
Nathan in 2025.
Alex in 2026.
And hopefully plenty more to come.
We’ve got some very talented young roofers coming through in Redcar and Cleveland, and there’s still plenty of work to do.
But I really do think we’re building something good.
And judging by the photo from the awards ceremony, I wasn’t doing a particularly good job of playing it cool either.
**A massive congratulations to Alex and Nathan. You should both be incredibly proud of yourselves.**
*Samuel Moore Roofing – Accredited Roofing & Solar Specialists serving Teesside, Redcar, Middlesbrough and North Yorkshire.*
Further Reading – Official BMI Award Recognition
We’re incredibly proud to see our apprentices recognised nationally by BMI Group, one of the UK’s leading roofing manufacturers.
- 2026 – Alexander Dempsey, BMI Redland Apprentice of the Year Winner:
Read BMI’s official 2026 winners announcement - 2025 – Nathan Binnall, Highly Commended:
View BMI’s Apprentice of the Year Hall of Fame
