Engineering company Forth has been recognised with a major award.

The company won the Best Community Involvement trophy at the in-Cumbria Business Awards, in acknowledgement of its commitment to community service.

Forth, which operates from bases in Flimby, Cleator Moor, and Barrow, has stayed true to its community-centric vision in the past year by donating more than 1,000 hours of practical expertise.

The firm has also provided almost 600 hours of work experience for school pupils.

The company's managing director, Mark Telford, said: "As a Cumbrian company employing people across the county, community means everything to Forth and we are always delighted to be able to use our experience and expertise to help make our communities even better places to live, work and visit."

The Forth team played a pivotal role in relighting the famed Wave landmark at Whitehaven's harbour, aligning with the King's coronation in May.

Light was brought back to the structure for the first time in more than six years.

Forth partnered with charity organisation Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners (WHC), supplying environmentally friendly LED lights spanning 400 meters, and utilising advanced 3D printing technologies to create 800 translucent brackets for maximum light exposure while maintaining resilience against fluctuating weather conditions.

Mr Telford said: “Relighting the Wave was exactly the type of challenge we love at Forth and we were delighted to come up with a sustainable, cost-effective solution which will hopefully bring a lot of joy to the wider community for years to come.”

Both Mr Telford and Graham Cartwright, Forth Projects Director, sit on multiple boards which are solely aimed at supporting local communities.

Reflecting on this, Mr Cartwright said: “Times are hard for lots of people and Cumbrian companies feel that too.

"Supporting the community for us isn’t just about handing out money to good causes, it’s about making a real, lasting and sustainable impact by giving up our time and sharing our skills and expertise to support a whole range of people and organisations.

"Getting hands-on and helping out where we can is where we feel we can best support our communities.”

Forth has led on a number of community initiatives within the past year.

The firm supported West Cumbria charity, HomeToWork, which helps unemployed people to find jobs, and the charity's Good Lives initiative which encourages volunteers to grow their own produce and cook healthy meals.

Forth donated its time and expertise, running to 240 hours, towards an entry to the Red Bull Soapbox challenge, raising funds in the name of an 11-year-old girl from Workington undergoing treatment for a brain tumour.

This raised £13,846.

Forth also provided 595 hours of practical work experience to encourage young students towards STEM careers, supported the Centre for Leadership Performance's Bright Stars programme, facilitated the manufacturing of gates for Moor Row School, and supplied hydraulics for a magic trick at Muncaster Castle.

Mr Telford has been recently appointed as a board member of Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners, where he will undertake work on a voluntary basis to continue improving the town and surrounding areas.

He said: "Another way we support the community is by providing sustainable employment for people from the local area and being an SME our team members often wear multiple hats, and with their roots in the community are passionate about giving back."