23 June 2026
Will Reed, Director and Trustee of the Boat Building Academy (BBA), said that winning Business of the Year in British Marine’s 2026 Boatbuilders Sector awards, has come at a significant point in the evolution of the college.
This award is a fitting testament to five years’ of transformational work by our team, our Trustees and supporters and comes as we look eagerly forward to the next stage of our work to nurture the next generation of skilled craftsmen and women.
Will Reed Director and Trustee at Boat Building AcademyThe Boat Building Academy and Furniture School, situated in Lyme Regis, Dorset, is the UK’s leading college for boat building, with graduates going on to work at boatyards across the UK and the world.
Since Covid, we have transformed the BBA into a financially resilient and sustainable organisation operating without any recurring public funding. Crucially, that financial success has enabled significant direct student investment. Since becoming a charity in 2020, we have raised £618,309 for boat building, furniture, and short course bursaries, awarding over 70 in total, covering an average of 52% of course fees per student with zero administrative deductions. Over half of all bursaries have been awarded to women and non‑binary students, reflecting our commitment to widening access and changing the demographic profile of the sector. This means that since our founding in 1997, we have trained nearly 3,000 people in boat building, furniture making, and specialist short courses – in many cases through bursary support when no other route into training existed.
Will Reed
Preparations are currently underway for the BBA to purchase the freehold of its waterfront site - an essential step in the long-term success of the business, said Will
“Buying our building will allow rental expenditure to be redirected into bolstering general funds and potentially direct student support. This will permanently secure our future and the future of boat building training in the UK, and we would very much like to hear from businesses and organisations interested in helping us to fund this project,” he explained.
As winner of the Business of the Year award, the BBA will go on to represent its sector at the British Marine National Awards, taking place during the British Marine Trades Association (BMTA) Awards Dinner on 21 September 2026, hosted at Voco Southampton by IHG.
Will added: “As with the Rising Star award won by our students at this year’s Classic Boat Awards, British Marine’s awards are voted for by our leisure marine industry peers, and we are immensely grateful for this recognition and their steadfast and continued support.
“We were also thrilled to learn that the Sustainability Award has been won by BlueTree Boat Builders Ltd – which is operated by two incredibly talented former BBA students who met on our 40-week boatbuilding course. Their win is truly justified and of immense pride to everyone at the BBA.”