We are proud to announce Stephen Zecchini as the winner of the 2025 Helen Gilzean Award, an annual recognition created to honour the life, impact, and legacy of our much-loved colleague and ILM tutor, Helen Gilzean.
This award celebrates learners who embody Helen’s spirit: dedicated, courageous, humble, and committed to personal and professional growth. Stephen’s journey stood out for his exceptional effort, reflective practice, and the authentic connection he built with Helen during his programme.
About Stephen
Stephen is the Southern UK & Ireland Sales Manager at Ebara Pumps Europe, a leading manufacturer of industrial and domestic centrifugal pumps. Based in Didcot, he has been with the organisation for seven years and in a management role for around four.
He joined the ILM programme on the recommendation of his own manager, who also studied with Helen and experienced firsthand the difference her support made.
Balancing full-time work with study, Stephen completed the qualification in 18 months, earning an impressive 100% pass mark on his assignment under Helen’s guidance.
The Award
As this year’s winner, Stephen receives:
- £100 personal award, which he plans to use to tour the Colosseum on a trip to Rome in the new year
- £200 donated to his chosen charity: Diabetes.co.uk
- £200 donated to Helen’s chosen charity: Ilminster Lions
These donations honour both Stephen’s achievement and Helen’s commitment to giving back.
Stephen’s Experience on the Programme
For Stephen, the programme provided both structure and insight:
“The course has given me structure, putting more structure into how I manage others and how I organise myself. The profiling really helped me to understand myself as a character and where I could improve, but also gave me brilliant insight in how to recognise and adapt to other personalities.”
He highlights how the learning translated directly into his day-to-day work:
“I was able to apply operational processes and procedures to my sales role and understand how they can support the business. I’d 100% recommend the course; even if you think you know everything, do you really implement it?”
Remembering Helen
Stephen’s connection with Helen made his nomination especially meaningful.
“Helen made learning fun. Our sessions were structured but she took time to get to know me and make it personal. We just clicked from the first time I met her; we had a giggle and that made the learning easier.”
“She was a really endearing, lovely lady who was always there to help when needed. Helen is someone who won’t be forgotten – she certainly left a mark on everyone.”
A Message from Shaun Durham, Crisp Managing Director
“It was clear from the strength and depth of the nominations that there were many worthy winners of the inaugural award in Helen’s memory. This is testimony to the hard work and dedication that our ILM students put into their learning experience.
We are delighted that for the first award, the winner had a personal connection to Helen, and had worked with her as part of their studies. Not only this, they went over and above in obtaining their qualification; Helen would have recognised Steve as a worthy winner, in a highly competitive field. Well done Steve. A truly deserving winner.”
Runners-Up
A huge congratulations also goes to all shortlisted nominees, each of whom demonstrated exceptional commitment to their development:
- David Crook – Exeter City Council
- Edmund Barratt – Exeter City Council
- Neena Patel – Lloyd & Whyte
- Jacob Nicholas – Kernow Health CIC
- Sarah Townsend – Tomorrow’s Guides
- Helen O’Shea – Salisbury NHS Trust
- Saluraj Chittezhath – Salisbury NHS Trust
Honouring Helen’s Legacy
The Helen Gilzean Award is more than a recognition of achievement; it continues Helen’s legacy of compassion, encouragement, and belief in the potential of every learner. Stephen’s story perfectly reflects the qualities Helen championed, and we are honoured to celebrate him as our 2025 Helen Gilzean Award winner.