Patchwork Hub take home two BASE UK Awards at Wembley

Patchwork Hub CEO, Beth Kume-Holland making an acceptance speech at the 2025 BASE UK Awards

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Patchwork Hub take home two BASE UK Awards at Wembley

We’re proud to share some special news with our community: Patchwork Hub has received two national honours at the BASE UK Awards 2025, held at Wembley Stadium.

On what was an unforgettable evening, Patchwork Hub was named Best Small Employer, and our CEO and founder, Beth Kume-Holland, received the prestigious David Grainger Award - recognising a disabled person who has changed perceptions of what disabled people can achieve in employment.

These awards are not just milestones for our team - they are recognition of the power and potential of disabled leadership, inclusive workplaces, and what becomes possible when accessibility is embedded from the start.

Across both awards, we were honoured to be recognised alongside exceptional organisations and individuals working to advance disability inclusion and remove barriers across society. We’re proud to be part of that wider movement for change.

‘Best Small Employer’ – BASE UK Award

Patchwork Hub was founded on a simple but urgent belief: Disabled people deserve accessible, flexible, ambitious employment opportunities - and workplaces must evolve to make that happen.

As a disabled-led organisation, we are intentional about the culture we build. Accessibility is not an afterthought. Flexibility is not a favour. Inclusion is not a policy document - it is embedded in how we design roles, lead our team, and deliver our services. Everyone at Patchwork Hub brings lived experience of disability or neurodivergence alongside professional expertise, and this fundamentally shapes who we are as an organisation.

The award was presented by sponsor Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. Their representative, Maree Moore, shared: “We were so impressed with the scope and reach that Patchwork Hub have achieved across their partnerships and network - and not only the impressive outcomes and impact, they have truly embedded inclusion.”

Our CEO Beth, when accepting the award, explained the belief that underpins the work we do: “We’ve built a disabled-led business not just to talk about inclusion, but to model it - in the way we hire, the way we strive to work, and the way we do our very best to support others to do the same. Our team knows firsthand that accessibility isn’t a box to tick - it’s a culture, a commitment, and often, a quiet act of leadership in itself.”

Being recognised as Best Small Employer by BASE UK is especially meaningful to us because it reflects something we care about profoundly: creating, within our own organisation and through our work with employers, the kind of workplace disabled people are too often denied elsewhere - one where people can thrive, lead and shape the future of work.

The David Grainger Award - for an individual changing perceptions around employment of disabled people

Alongside Patchwork Hub’s organisational award, our CEO Beth was deeply honoured to receive the David Grainger Award.

The David Grainger Award is presented to a disabled person who inspires others to have high aspirations in employment, challenges perceptions about what disabled people can achieve, and demonstrates progression in their chosen career.

In presenting the award, sponsor Audrey Bodman FIEP of Outshine Telephone Training & Resources said: “We chose Beth because she’s driving change on so many levels. She’s using her lived experience, expertise and the business she founded to push disability inclusion forward in a very powerful way.”

She described Beth in three words: “courageous, visionary and unstoppable.”

We know that person should be able to have high aspirations in employment. And yet, we still have a very long way to go before that becomes a reality for all.

Beth shared what the award meant to her alongside recognising how far we still have to go in her acceptance speech: “Disabled people as leaders, innovators and change-makers should not be the exception. Across the UK and beyond, there are incredible disabled professionals building businesses, leading teams, driving innovation and creating change. However, we continue to be held back by inaccessible systems, structures and attitudes that consistently put unnecessary barriers in our way”.

The role of allies in creating change

The evening really reinforced for us that progress doesn’t happen in isolation.

We have had the privilege of working alongside many fantastic disabled organisations and changemakers. But also brilliant non-disabled allies who understand the social and economic cost of ignoring disability inclusion. More employers are recognising that accessibility is not a niche concern - it is central to building innovative, resilient organisations.

When workplaces remove barriers, productivity increases, innovation grows and business performance strengthens. Inclusion is not just morally right. It makes clear business sense.

Thank you

We are hugely grateful to BASE UK for this recognition and for all the work they do to champion inclusive employment across the UK.

Thank you also to Maree and Audrey for their incredibly kind words on the night, which so nearly brought Beth to tears on stage, and to everyone who continues to support Patchwork Hub’s work and mission.

There is still a long way to go, but we remain committed to building a future of work where disabled people can thrive, lead and succeed without barriers.

Here’s to continuing that work in 2026 and beyond.

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I found a job through Patchwork Hub – a senior level position with a leading financial services company. Throughout the process I felt supported by very dedicated people, both at Patchwork Hub and the company, and it was really refreshing to be able to openly talk about my health condition and not feel like I had to actively avoid the subject. Their support was simply invaluable.

Ditte

Patchworker

I applied for a job through Patchwork Hub and secured employment at a FTSE 100 company. That is so fantastic, not just for my bank account and CV but also my confidence. Without Patchwork Hub – both its accessibility and the support and understanding they offer– this would not have happened for me. A platform taking a proactive approach to raising awareness amongst employers, and approaching disability inclusion in a way where we're not othered, is transformational.

Rock

Patchworker

Patchwork Hub are leading a critical culture change in work and health for employers as we move into our 'new normal'. Bringing together global businesses, charities and experts to create accessible work opportunities for those currently excluded by traditional work practises, and challenging assumptions around a hidden pool of talent.

Lord Dennis Stevenson

As a company committed to diversity and equality of opportunity, we are excited to be partnering with Patchwork Hub and are looking forward to further building our relationship with Beth and the business. This platform allows us to connect with highly-skilled individuals we might not otherwise reach. Patchwork Hub hosts a growing pool of very capable and diverse talent which offers businesses unique recruitment potential, while helping to strengthen a company’s social impact.

St James's Place

FTSE 100 employer

I secured employment with a FTSE 100 company through Patchwork Hub. I would like to thank Beth and the team for helping me through the recruitment process and being there to give advice and support throughout my placement. It was refreshing to be honest about my condition and know that the company was ‘disability aware’ and would be inclusive and understanding too. This meant that I was able to focus on my job, learn from my colleagues and feel part of the team. I would advise others to make the most of this unique platform, its placement schemes and the opportunities they provide.

Ben

Patchworker

Patchwork Hub is an incredible organisation, making great strides towards bridging the gap between employers and ‘the UK’s hidden talent pool’. This is not limited to the one million disabled people in the UK navigating access to traditional job roles but extends across society to all those facing barriers. Patchwork Hub is where employees, who are experiencing the challenge of skills shortages, can come to unlock this talent pool, equally supporting employers and employees, and enabling society as a whole to thrive.

Q5

Annabel Tonge, Q5 Director (Employer)

Patchwork Hub's work will be invaluable to anyone for whom conventional work is not feasible. Having been suffering with health issues over the last few months myself and coming from a family of carers, mental illness sufferers, and disability, I've experienced firsthand the impact Patchwork Hub has on real lives. As well as offering employment opportunities, the unique offerings of community and the upcoming freelancing platform really set Patchwork Hub apart. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how valuable work-from-home opportunities are, and Patchwork Hub has been ahead of the curve in their aim to provide working opportunities for as many people as possible.

Mia

Featured Patchworker, Oxford University

Lauren

Patchworker, Digital Marketing

Patchwork Hub is THE next-gen employment platform that's placing accessibility first - something that many companies in the same space should be looking up to.

WithVR

Gareth Walkom, CEO

Working with Patchwork Hub was an amazing insight into a startup leading the culture change in the world of work. Beth is extremely passionate and incredibly knowledgeable, and her start-up is providing critical information for companies looking to become more accessible and inclusive. The world of work has permanently changed following the pandemic, and Patchwork Hub provides a great insight into what the future of work should look like.

Lucas

Digital Marketing Executive

I think Patchwork Hub's ethos is really remarkable and special. Especially during times like these (Covid), where the need for accessible work has become more evident than ever, shining a light on the work they do is doubly important. I can only see their mission becoming more and more essential as time goes on. during times like these (Covid), where the need for accessible work has become more evident than ever, shining a light on the work they do is doubly important. I can only see their mission becoming more and more essential as time goes on.

Natalie

Featured Patchworker, University of Oxford

Disability inclusion is not a chore or cost, it's a massive business opportunity. We're so thrilled to be working with Patchwork Hub as a disability-owned business and leader in this space, ensuring we are doing all we can to attract and retain diverse talent.

2Gether-International

Keevin O'Rourke, Managing Director | Startup Accelerator & Venture Fund (Employer)

Patchwork Hub take home two BASE UK Awards at Wembley

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