We’re delighted to announce the 2020 winner of the Bridges Positive Impact Award, our category at the Growing Business Awards, which is intended to recognise growth businesses that are having a positive impact on people or the planet.

Every year we receive a host of incredible entries – and this year was no different. But there was a clear winner: White Hat. This inspiring tech startup has a mission to create a diverse group of future leaders by building a sustainable alternative to university through apprenticeships. 

At Bridges we believe business has a really important role to play in solving the big social and environmental challenges we face – many of which have been exacerbated by the events of this year. There are almost 800,000 young people aged 16-24 in the UK who are not in employment, education or training – and this number is set to grow due to the detrimental impact of Covid-19.

By transforming apprenticeships and creating a credible alternative to university degrees, White Hat is committed to developing high-quality education and training to support the needs of both employers and young people – from Digital Marketing at Google to Software Engineering at Sky, White Hat work with some of the UK’s top companies.

Our team of judges were hugely impressed by this purpose-driven organisation, which can play a vital role in tackling educational inequality in the UK and challenging wider societal perceptions around apprenticeships.

Philip Newborough, co-CEO of Bridges, said: “Many congratulations to White Hat and all the brilliant nominees for this year’s Positive Impact Award. We found it hugely inspiring to see how many growth businesses out there are still committed to solving our biggest social and environmental challenges, despite all that’s happened in the last year. It gives us real confidence that in the coming months and years, we can build back our economy in a way that’s more inclusive and more sustainable.”