An East Anglia-based timber and builders’ merchant has scooped a prestigious industry award.

Ridgeons, based in Cambridge, won a training award for developing a degree course in collaboration with Anglia Ruskin University at the eleventh annual Builders’ Merchant Awards for Excellence.

The Ridgeons Foundation degree in management, a bespoke two year qualification, was launched in March 2010. The degree focuses on finance, project management, marketing, leadership and a work-based project Of the 19 staff to have embarked on the course, 15 graduated in July 2012, all achieving at least a merit.

Ridgeons employees joined actor, presenter and impressionist Chris Barrie, and over 500 captains of industry, to receive their awards at a glittering event held at the Lancaster Hotel in London.

Ridgeons managing director Angela Rushforth said: “Receiving industry recognition for our Foundation degree in management, is testimony to the hard work and commitment of both the course development team and our employees who have undertaken the qualification. The payback since its introduction has been huge, it has helped to foster and encourage collaborative working and identify a future talent pool from our existing employees, ensuring that we are able to meet the future demands of the business.”