Sally King, who runs Sally’s Pipe Dream in Swindon, was crowned South West winner at the 2026 Plumber Awards. The new awards recognise tradespeople delivering high standards of workmanship and customer care across the UK.
Her entry centred on two complex jobs. These included identifying and fixing a misconnected shower valve and replacing a faulty unvented hot water cylinder.
Both projects required detailed fault-finding and technical expertise. The work resulted in safer and fully compliant systems for her customers.
Sally King, owner of Sally’s Pipe Dream, said:
“For me, these two projects stood out because they demanded technical problem-solving, with the need to deliver real improvements for my customers’ day-to-day life.
“By carefully diagnosing the issues and delivering safer, reliable solutions, I was able to restore proper water flow and ensure the systems were fully compliant.
“I’ve always said that ‘the best man for the job is a woman’ so to be recognised in the first Plumber Awards is a fantastic achievement, and motivates me to keep on providing the highest standards of service to my customers.”
The Plumber Awards were launched by the team behind the long-established Heating Installer Awards. They aim to highlight the work of an industry that plays a vital role in homes and businesses but is often overlooked.
Judges, including industry specialists and professional bodies, assessed entries during a full day of judging. They reported a particularly high standard of submissions in the competition’s first year.
Sally will now go forward to the national final. She will compete against other regional winners for the UK title.
Public voting is now open and will form part of the final decision, alongside judges’ scores and a technical challenge. The overall winner will be announced on 24 June at InstallerSHOW at Birmingham NEC.
The awards also draw attention to the wider trade, which includes around 150,000 qualified plumbers across the UK. The profession remains essential in maintaining safe water systems, sanitation and heating in homes nationwide.
Residents who wish to support Sally can vote before the deadline on 30 April.
