Three student judges from Ascent College, which is located close to Speedy Hire’s HQ in Newton-le-Willows, spent the day on site tasting the entries and selecting the winning bakers. In a generous gesture of reciprocity, Ascent students also made and donated both the first-place and runner-up prizes.

The competition attracted an overwhelming number of entries and the standard of baking impressed the judges.

Sairah Ghalib, Social Impact & Communities Manager, Speedy Hire, said:

“The enthusiasm and generosity shown by colleagues was brilliant. Partnering with Ascent College and welcoming their students as judges brought real meaning to the day.”

Tara Thomas, Employer engagement officer at Ascent College, said;

“Events like this provide valuable experiential learning opportunities for students while fostering a real sense of belonging in the community. The funds raised will support an exciting new student initiative- transforming a mobile horsebox into an outdoor catering enterprise that will serve neighbouring businesses on Wednesday lunchtimes”

This fundraising effort underlines Speedy Hire’s commitment to investing in the communities it serves — helping Ascent College continue providing safe, specialist, and life-changing education for autistic young people.

About Speedy Hire

Founded in 1977, Speedy Hire is the UK’s leading provider of tools and equipment hire services, serving a wide range of customers in the construction, infrastructure, industrial and support services markets, as well as local trade and retail. The Group also provides complementary support services such as training, asset management and compliance services.

Speedy Hire operates across the UK and Ireland, in over 300 B&Q stores through a digital model, and through a joint venture in Kazakhstan. It is recognised as a leading UK business in sustainability, being the first UK and Ireland hire company to implement a PAS2080:2023 third-party verified carbon management system.

About Ascent Autism Specialist College

Ascent College provides expert specialist education for autistic students, focused on achieving the very best outcomes. The college supports young people to fulfil their unique potential through safe and nurturing learning environments designed around the full range of young people’s needs.

Speedy Hire “Bake-Off” raises funds for Ascent Autism Specialist College