NBRA member collects two national awards in the same autumn it took Silver at the Greener Bodyshop Awards
Stanways Autobodies of Lytham St Annes has won two awards at the ABP Bodyshop Excellence Awards. It caps a year in which the 13-strong independent bodyshop has gone up against some of the biggest names in UK repair and held its own.
At the ABP Night of Knights at the ICC Birmingham on 29 October, director Nasar Khan received the ABP Special Recognition Award. Senior Painter Richard Bamforth was named among the winners of Apprentice Mentor of the Year for the time and care he puts into bringing the business’s apprentices through, including paint apprentice Ben Bristow.
The ABP wins follow September’s NBRA Greener Bodyshop Awards. There Stanways was named a Silver Award Winner and reached the final in five categories: Greener Bodyshop, Industry Innovation, Sustainability, Outstanding Customer Service, and the Bob Linwood Apprentice Award for Ben.
Standards First
Stanways was established in 1974 and has been owned and run by the Khan family since 2017. It moved into a purpose-built 16-bay facility at Queensway Park Farm in 2024. The investment has been matched by a steady run of quality milestones. The business has passed its BS10125 audit with zero non-conformances three years running, most recently with structural aluminium repair in scope. It became Hyundai Approved in December 2025, runs a dedicated EV bay, and carries out ADAS calibration in house with IMI qualified technicians.
It has also built its own technology. Stan, an AI damage assessment tool developed in house, was shortlisted for Industry Innovation at the NBRA awards. Alongside it, a structured apprentice programme sees apprentices train at Blackpool College and learn in the workshop under Richard’s mentoring.
“THIS IS NOT A ONE-MAN AWARD”
“Standing on that stage was humbling, but this is not a one-man award,” said Nasar Khan. “It belongs to everyone at Stanways who turns up every day and does the job properly. Richard’s win means just as much to me. The way we bring apprentices through is the future of this trade, and he is the reason ours are doing so well.
“I also want to thank our customers, our partners and the NBRA in particular. Being part of the NBRA gives an independent like us real support and a real voice. The Greener Bodyshop Awards gave us the confidence to put ourselves forward on a bigger stage, and that has paid off.
“We won’t stand still. The aim is to keep raising the bar, keep investing in our people, and keep showing what an independent family bodyshop can do.”
Stanways Autobodies Ltd is an independent family bodyshop at Unit 31 Queensway Park Farm, Lytham St Annes, FY8 3FQ. Established in 1974, it is a member of the NBRA, ARIES and ABP Club, Hyundai Approved and BS10125 certified.
Web: stanwaysautobodies.co.uk
Email: [email protected]
