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Award-winning apprentices at Durham Cathedral

Last month, two of our apprentices from the Works Yard team at the cathedral won Durham Freemen's Awards, for their skilled work in their trade.

On Friday 28 June, the Durham Freeman in partnership with New College Durham, hosted an awards ceremony to celebrate the skills of apprentices in the North East.

The project, launched 12 months ago by Durham City’s Freemen, and supported by New College, Durham, this year considered 25 new hopefuls in eight trade categories, all supported by employers across the county.

This year, 25 apprentices were up for awards, from eight trade categories, from stonemasonry and joinery to hairdressing, and painting & decorating to computer networking engineering. Each category saw representatives from employers across the county.

The evening saw two of Durham Cathedral's own apprentices, Robin Erskine and Graham Penfold win in in two different categories...

Carpentry and Joinery Apprentice of the Year award - Robin Erskine

Apprentice joiner, Robin Erskine won the Carpentry and Joinery Apprentice of the Year award, impressing the judges with his 'exceptional skills and high quality of work', in addition to his 'excellent communication and teamwork'. 

Robin is currently a student at New College Durham, previously working as a primary school teacher, then becoming a civil servant, alongside attending evening woodworking classes to fulfil his life-long dream of becoming a joiner. Congratulations Robin!

Stonemason Apprentice of the Year - Graham Penfold

Apprentice Stonemason, Graham Penfold won in the Stonemasonry category of Apprentice of the Year, as he impressed staff and judges with his 'meticulous approach to work and attention to detail'.

Graham became a General Operative at the cathedral in 2019, and was encouraged to apply for a stonemasonry apprenticeship, with previously having a background in building in construction for more than 20 years before a knee injury. Graham is now within weeks of finishing his apprenticeship with York College. Congratulations Graham!


New College Durham offers a range of partnerships, with over 70 career pathways and many established contacts with North East employers.

Read more about the other award-winners here.

Read more about our apprentices and projects

Restoring the Monks' Garden Wall

The Cathedral’s Works Department are currently undertaking a major restoration project on the boundary wall of the Monks' Garden.

National Apprenticeship Week

We asked two apprentices to share what they love about learning on the job at Durham Cathedral.