Rising Star
Company: Ideal Heating
Nominee Name: Natalie Bamforth
Supporting Statement
At just 23, Natalie Bamforth has transformed a struggling heat pump design function into a structured, high-performing team that is driving business growth, strengthening customer relationships, and supporting the transition to low-carbon heating across the UK new build sector.
Introduction to the Individual
Natalie Bamforth, aged 23, is the Manager of our Heat Pump Design Team. In just two years, she has progressed from a boiler system designer into a leadership role, quickly establishing herself as a key and highly respected member of the business.
Type of Work Undertaken
Natalie leads the design and delivery of heat pump systems for new build residential developments across the UK. Her role includes:
• Managing a growing design team
• Delivering technically robust, compliant system designs
• Supporting internal sales teams with technical expertise
• Acting as a trusted advisor to housebuilders transitioning to low-carbon heating
She plays a central role in aligning design, sales, and customer requirements, helping to drive the business forward in a rapidly evolving market.
Training Undertaken
Natalie has successfully transitioned from traditional boiler system design into heat pump system design, building strong expertise in low-temperature systems and new build requirements.
Alongside her management responsibilities, she has personally trained six new starters, developing their technical ability while increasing existing team performance and output.
In addition, Natalie has achieved her BPEC Low Temperature Heating qualification during this period. As a further demonstration of her commitment to the role and the success of the department, she made the decision to delay commencing her HND by a year in order to fully focus on establishing and stabilising the team.
How the Candidate Has Excelled
Natalie has had a genuinely transformative impact on the business.
She took over a struggling, unstructured heat pump design function and turned it into a well-organised, high-performing team. She introduced clear workflows, implemented measurable output tracking, and brought structure, accountability, and consistency to the department.
She has also driven significant improvements in technical quality, including the implementation of new external design software, which has increased the accuracy and consistency of our system designs. In addition, she has helped introduce a robust internal quality control process, ensuring all designs are checked and meet the required standards before issue.
The result has been:
• Improved performance and output
• Higher design accuracy and quality
• Stronger team morale and engagement
• A design function that now supports business growth and customer confidence
Despite her leadership responsibilities, Natalie remains hands-on, regularly supporting both her team and the wider business with her own technical expertise.
What sets Natalie apart is not just her performance, but her mindset. She has a genuine passion for decarbonisation and strongly believes that designing effective heat pump systems into new build homes will play a critical role in reducing the UK’s carbon footprint and environmental impact. This belief drives the quality of her work and her commitment to getting designs right.
Customer Feedback
Natalie consistently receives positive feedback from both internal and external stakeholders.
• Internal sales teams value her responsiveness and technical support
• Developers, particularly those new to heat pumps, rely on her guidance and input
• We regularly receive direct feedback from large new build developers thanking her for her support and expertise
Her ability to work in a consultative way has strengthened relationships and enhanced the company’s reputation within a changing new build sector.
Summary
Natalie has rapidly progressed into a leadership role, transforming a failing department into a high-performing team while maintaining technical excellence. Her impact on team performance, customer relationships, and business growth, combined with her genuine commitment to low-carbon heating, makes her an outstanding candidate for the Rising Star Award. We feel very lucky to have her leading our Heat Pump design team here at Ideal Heating.
Entry ID: 10347
