Nine young entrepreneurs from West Cumbria were celebrated for their achievements at an event in Whitehaven on Wednesday, 7 August 2024. These young adults, ranging in age from 15 to 25, were part of the Positive Enterprise program, a joint initiative by Cumbria Community Foundation and the Centre for Leadership Performance (CforLP) that aims to help young people start their own businesses.
At the beginning of this year, each participant was given a £1,000 grant and received mentoring from an experienced businessperson, as well as skills and leadership development opportunities from CforLP. The celebration event, held at Whitehaven Civic Hall, saw each of the young entrepreneurs give a presentation about their business, sharing the inspiration behind their ideas and discussing the successes and challenges they have faced.
Chloe Pennington, 16, from Whitehaven, was awarded an additional £1,000 on the night by judges who were impressed by her presentation about her business, Chloe’s Chateau. Her business creates and sells original art and gifts, with her hand-drawn artwork featuring scenes from West Cumbria and beyond being transformed into prints, mugs, and other giftware.
Speaking about her experience on the program, Chloe said, “Being on the program with so many brilliant young participants, that have now become friends, is a privilege that I am so very grateful for and one that any young person would benefit hugely from. It’s endorsed my belief that if you want something badly enough, with a lot of hard work and a little bit of help from your friends, it’s absolutely achievable.”
The judges also highly commended runner-up Jackson Slack, 17, of Silloth, for his business Football Fluidity. His business offers 1-2-1 football coaching at affordable prices and was inspired by his passion for football. Jackson shared, “Football is my passion so with this business, I’m getting paid to do a job I love. I thought of the idea last year, but the Positive Enterprise grant was the catalyst for the business. I wouldn’t have been able to afford everything I needed without it. Equipment, insurance, first aid kit, goals – everything adds up.”
Chair of Cumbria Community Foundation, David Beeby, presented certificates to all the participants and commended them for their efforts. He encouraged them to listen to the advice they receive from their mentors while also making their own decisions about their businesses.
Guest speakers at the event included Glenn Anderson of Proud and Diverse Cumbria and James Batchelor of Alertacall. The businesses created by the young entrepreneurs ranged from animal accessories and sweets to self-care packages for people undergoing chemotherapy.
One of the participants, Ava Marshall, 15, from Whitehaven, created Lightside Equestrian & Pet Products, which produces and sells horse fly rugs made from recycled materials, including plastic bottles, as well as other pet accessories. Sustainability was a common theme among several of the young entrepreneurs, with 21-year-old Scott Sharpe of Whitehaven launching White Horse Vintage, a business that sells vintage clothing and upcycled items, driven by his love for retro clothing and desire to reduce fast fashion.
22-year-old Aaron Groggins, also from Whitehaven, established Lakeland Life, a market-style festival event promoting food, drink, and sustainability. Other businesses created by the young entrepreneurs included Glaxto, which sells decorated glass bottles and drinking glasses, Jasmine Grace: Made with Love, offering self-care packages for people with anxiety and undergoing chemotherapy, Sweet Stems, selling handmade bouquets of sweets, and Sugar Tongue, which sells sweets.
The Positive Enterprise program is funded by Cumbria-based property developer Brian Scowcroft with match funding from Sellafield Ltd as part of its Transforming West Cumbria program, Nuclear Waste Services, Well Whitehaven, Morgan Sindall, and Kaefer. The program, delivered by the Centre for Leadership Performance, aims to develop key employability and entrepreneurial skills such as negotiation, time management, and business knowledge.
Annalee Holliday, Head of Grants Practice & Programmes at Cumbria Community Foundation, expressed her gratitude to all the donors who have funded this transformative program, which will have a lasting effect on the young entrepreneurs’ careers. She also announced that recruitment for the next group of young entrepreneurs will begin in the autumn.
For more information about the Positive Enterprise program, visit www.cumbriafoundation.org/transforming-west-cumbria/positive-enterprise/.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.