The Blackburn businesswoman giving back to the community

Charlotte Knowles, director of Elektec, a Darwen-based electrical contractor, recently received the Charity Champion Award at the Freshies 2023 Awards.

She was recognised for her working in driving the company’s corporate social responsibility and works tirelessly to make a difference in the community.

Charlotte, who was recently named one of the most inspirational women in Lancashire, says she is driven by a need to instil love and support, especially during the last few challenging years.

Charlotte and Carl with their three children, Betsy, Walter, and Ralph (Image: Charlotte Knowles)

She said: “I’ve got three children of my own and I want to inspire them to do good and help people because there are a lot of horrible and negative things in the world and if I can make a small difference then I will always try to.

“There are so many organisations across East Lancashire that need help. Foodbanks need supporting, there are people who can’t afford to buy clothes and uniforms for their children.

“The energy crisis has impacted everyone - schools, businesses, it’s crippling families. There’s struggle everywhere so it’s so important to help as much as you can.”

Charlotte and her husband Carl Knowles have run Elektec for four years and have supported East Lancashire Hospice by offering free pat testing in the main hospice and all its retail shops.

They have both also been heavily involved with supporting the hospice’s fundraising campaigns including the Sunflower Memory Garden.

By sponsoring this campaign, it enabled the hospice to raise the maximum funds needed to care for patients in our community.

“I’ve volunteered at the hospice from the age of 18 and then I went complete a Masters in Social Work so I became a social worker.

"The hours were crazy so I wasn’t able to commit any more time volunteering but I felt like I was making a difference through being a social worker.

"Since working at Elektec, I’ve been able to go back to volunteering at the hospice and I just love it. My kids also love supporting them and will be doing a 10-mile bike to raise money for the hospice.”

The family’s philanthropic efforts have also included installing free LED lighting for Blackburn with Darwen charity, Secret Santa and Blackburn Youth Zone and installing a free defibrillator to Cuerden Valley Park.

As well as fundraising, Charlotte dedicates her time to visiting primary and high schools to break down gender stereotypes by encouraging girls to study STEM subjects.

Through being a mentor with the Prince’s Trust, Charlotte and Carl were recognised by royalty and were invited to meet the King which Charlotte described as a stand out moment for her.

Speaking on her most recent of many wins over the years, Charlotte was over the moon when received the Charity Champions Freshies award.

She said: “It was so overwhelming to even be nominated so to win it is just incredible. It is a nice feeling when you’re recognised the work you’ve been doing and knowing it has a positive impact on people.

“I’m just so grateful for the support we’ve had from the local community. The satisfaction you get through helping people is wonderful and I hope it inspires others to put some positivity and love into the world, because we need it.”

Matthew Crockett, Charlotte Knowles, Chris Bingham and Carl Knowles (Image: Charlotte Knowles)

In May 2023, Elektec were acquired by Greenarc which Charlotte says was possible because of the community support raising their brand awareness.

Greenarc supports residential, commercial, and public sector client’s transition to clean energy. 

Ben Duckworth, Director at Greenarc, said: “We first became aware of Elektec through the amazing community work that they had been delivering over recent years.

"We knew we needed to grow our Greenarc business by acquiring and partnering with a reputable electrical contracting business that aligned with our company values. Elektec undoubtably met that criteria.”

Chris Bingham, Chairman and CEO at Greenarc said: “We are thrilled to welcome Carl and Charlotte to the business to support our goal of transitioning our customers to a clean energy future.”