By Laurence Barrow
The last few weeks have been a real whirlwind, with incredible events, humbling recognition and reminders of why supporting our local community means so much to me.
One highlight was the Warrington Chamber Plus Business Awards at the Halliwell Jones Stadium. Barrow Electrical was runner-up for Business of the Year, and I was runner-up for Businessman of the Year. To then receive the Outstanding Achievement Award was incredibly humbling. Being recognised for our work and local impact means a great deal, and I’m absolutely chuffed to bits.
I was also honoured to receive the Chair’s Award at the North West Cancer Research Awards at Liverpool’s Titanic Hotel for the amazing Golf event back in July, It was an evening filled with inspirational stories and hope for future research and treatments across our region.
Sadly, we recently lost our friend Maria to brain cancer at just 42. With Claire also undergoing a new treatment for her brain cancer, these causes are incredibly close to home. Claire has faced a few difficult weeks adjusting to treatment, but she’s doing amazingly. We feel fortunate to have brilliant hospitals and medical teams around us, and I’m determined to do even more for North West Cancer Research in Maria’s memory.
Meeting Andy Reid MBE, the inspirational triple amputee who completed the London Marathon and climbed Kilimanjaro, was another privilege. Meanwhile, our Barrow Electrical and AI Lighting teams have returned safely from their own Kilimanjaro challenge, raising more than £20,000 for MamaToto. We’re incredibly proud of everyone involved.
We were proud to sponsor the Dave Rees Gala Dinner at Wigan’s Brick Community Stadium for Wigan and Leigh Hospice. Dave gave Barrow Electrical the opportunity to work on one of our biggest projects, something we’ll always be grateful for. Our relationship with the team at Vanliners UK remains fantastic.
On the golfing front, we won the Protive Security Warrington and Halton Hospitals Charity Golf Day for the second year running. I even managed to win the Kia Invitational at Trentham Golf Club with a brilliant team around me. I’ll put that down to luck, as I certainly don’t expect it to become a habit!
It’s been rewarding helping launch the new Vibe Cafe at Warrington Living Well Hub, speaking with young people about employment and training opportunities, and supporting Parr Hall’s OktoberFest for Warrington’s Rotary club.
It was a huge honour speaking at ABB’s leadership conference and then attending the World Grand Prix darts final in Leicester as a VIP guest of BoyleSports, following our team’s work setting up the Mattioli Arena.
Behind the scenes, Barrow Electrical continues delivering projects across storage, manufacturing, healthcare and education, alongside our nationwide compliance rollout and work in the Republic of Ireland. The team continue to smash it out of the park.
At Warrington Rylands, keep an eye out for the club’s October event with Cash for Kids — another brilliant initiative supporting our community.
Finally, the North West Cancer Research Golf Day returns on Friday 21 May 2027 at Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere. We’re planning to make it bigger and better, with exciting announcements coming soon. Whether you’d like to play golf, attend the evening gala or get involved as a sponsor, please contact me directly. We’d love to have you involved!
