Double award success for The Bedford College Group at regional STEM Awards
Two inspirational lecturers from The Bedford College Group, which has campuses across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire, have scooped top honours at a regional awards ceremony, celebrating their dedication to helping students build skills, confidence, and brighter futures.
Nathan Luccarini, esports Lecturer at Bedford College, and Duncan Laughton, Senior Lecturer in Mathematics at Tresham College, were both named winners at the Overt STEM Awards 2026.
The awards recognise outstanding achievements in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) across the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor, shining a spotlight on those making a real difference in education and industry.
Nathan won the Future Force in STEM, Further/Higher (18–30) award for his work developing Bedford College's esports programme and creating new opportunities for students interested in digital careers.
Joining the College just three weeks before the launch of its new Esports qualification, Nathan built the teaching programme from scratch while studying for his teaching qualification.
His innovative approach has helped students develop skills in broadcasting, digital content creation, event management, and other areas of the growing esports industry, while challenging misconceptions about the subject.
Reflecting on his achievement, Nathan said: “It’s an honour to win the Future Force in STEM - Further and Higher Education award after just one year of teaching and to have my work at Bedford College recognised. Sharing my passion for esports with students who love it just as much is what makes teaching these courses so rewarding, particularly as they discover their strengths, develop their ambitions and begin to see a future career in something they enjoy. Their enthusiasm, ideas and ambitions have helped shape the courses from the beginning, so they are very much part of this achievement.
“A particular thank you to my manager, Mike Smith, whose encouragement, trust and support have given me the confidence to pursue my ideas and develop the courses as ambitiously as I had hoped.”
Duncan received the STEM Career Reboot award in recognition of his move from engineering into education and his dedication to helping students overcome barriers to learning mathematics.
Following a serious rugby injury, Duncan retrained as a Maths teacher, bringing his engineering experience into the classroom to make the subject more practical and accessible.
Using real-life examples and 3D-printed teaching resources he has designed himself; Duncan has helped students rebuild their confidence and achieve results they once thought were out of reach.
Speaking about his award, Duncan commented: "As an educator who came to teaching later in my career, I was humbled simply to be nominated for this award and genuinely honoured to be selected as its recipient. Like countless teachers, I am driven not by recognition, but by the impact we can have on our students. Having the opportunity to reduce anxiety around mathematics, build confidence, and help young people develop both academically and personally is what makes this profession so rewarding. Seeing the positive change that education can bring to those in our care remains the greatest privilege of all."
Dr Robin Webber-Jones, Deputy CEO and Executive Director of Curriculum at The Bedford College Group, praised the achievements of both lecturers: "These are important awards to celebrate and expand diversity in STEM. As an anchor institution in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor it is brilliant to celebrate the work of our exceptional teachers, staff and teams and the important work they do to secure and develop talent across science, technology, engineering, and maths. We look forward to continuing to work hard on this important agenda and are really proud of all our staff who were finalists and who won."