Young Clitheroe entrepreneur's double praise at Prolific North Champion Awards and Royal Academy of Engineering

Conor Walsh (24) whose business is in Burnley, scooped the Highly Commended Award at the Prolific North Champion Awards in the Outstanding Young Rising Star Awards, picking up his award at Emirates Old Trafford.

In the same week, Conor, who is a qualified electrician, was recognised by the Royal Academy of Engineering, with a place on its Enterprise Hub’s Regional Talent Engines programme, for ReelHelp, a tool which helps electricians to reduce waste when they are wiring.

For that, he scoops a £20,000 grant and six months of support from the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Enterprise Hub to help bring his idea to life.

As well as ReelHelp, Conor is also the co-founder of PatchApp UK, the home maintenance tech start-up company which secured over £250,000 investment last year.

Commenting on his latest success, Conor said: “To be recognised as one of the rising stars of the whole of the North was something really special. It was quite a lot to take in. I’m having the time of my life, doing something that I love and it always feels fantastic when that hard work and proper graft is recognised.

“And then to be recognised by the Royal Academy of Engineering, and to receive all of that practical support, from such a highly regarded and historic organisation was just something else. It was a robust process, but I’m delighted to have been accepted onto their programme.”

These accolades follow Conor being named as an Innovate UK Young Innovator of the Year and a winner of Lancashire Innovation Challenge in 2022.