Ten teenagers hailing from West Cumbria are on their way to becoming successful business owners, thanks to the Positive Enterprise program run by Cumbria Community Foundation and the Centre for Leadership Performance (CforLP). The program, which has been running for three years, provides young entrepreneurs with a £1,000 grant, as well as workshops, expert advice, mentorship, and the opportunity to shadow local entrepreneurs.
This year’s program was launched at The Rum Story in Whitehaven, where the ten participants, their families, mentors, and organizers were able to get to know each other and hear about the success stories of previous program participants. One such success story is that of Chloe Pennington, who took part in the program in 2024 and now runs her own business, Chloe’s Chateau, which sells original art and gifts featuring scenes from West Cumbria and beyond. Pennington shared her advice with this year’s participants, stating, “It has been amazing. Through this scheme, I’ve met so many people who have helped me. My advice would be, network as much as you can and take every opportunity that you get from this process. You’ll get out of it what you put in.”
Another success story is that of Aaron Groggins, who launched his events business Lakeland Life through the program last year. In November, Groggins organized the first Eat Street Cumbria event in Whitehaven, a street food market that attracted 5,000 visitors and brought in £74,000 to the local economy. Groggins credits the program for his success, stating, “If I hadn’t signed up to Positive Enterprise, it wouldn’t have happened. A great amount of people have helped me along the way. Positive Enterprise is the perfect place to try out your ideas.”
This year’s participants have a diverse range of business ideas, including selling crochet starter kits, gym wear, wellness boxes, and offering services such as property maintenance and tech services for older people. One participant, 15-year-old Isabelle Walker of Whitehaven, has already had some success selling her hand-sewn fashion accessories online. She hopes the program will help her take her business to the next level, stating, “I need help learning to budget and organize my business, gain visibility on the Internet, develop my brand, and how to sell locally. I also really need a new sewing machine so the £1,000 grant will pay for that.”
Glenn Anderson, of Proud and Diverse Cumbria, is a mentor for the program for the first time this year. He expresses his excitement for the opportunity, stating, “It’s a real privilege to be asked to be a mentor, to pass on a bit of my experience and to help mould the minds of our future leaders and workforce. If you have somebody who has already been there, it has to help when setting up your own business.”
The Positive Enterprise program is funded by property developer Brian Scowcroft, with match funding this year from Sellafield Ltd under its Transforming West Cumbria program and the Beverley Trust Fund. Stuart McCourt, Social Impact Manager at Sellafield Ltd, says of the program, “We are delighted to support Positive Enterprise again this year, and it was great to meet the participants and see the enthusiasm they have for their business ideas. Hearing the success stories from the previous beneficiaries shows how valuable the program is, not only supporting young entrepreneurs to get started but also giving them the tools they need for their business to become sustainable and grow.”
The program is delivered by the Centre for Leadership Performance, whose Project Lead, Jemma Groves, expresses her excitement for this year’s participants, stating, “Positive Enterprise is an absolutely fantastic opportunity for our young people to make their mark in the business world, and coaching them through this is an honor. This year we have a group of super intelligent, charismatic, and creative individuals, and I am so excited to support them over the next six months. Some, if not all, of the young people that go through this program are our future leaders in business, and Positive Enterprise gives us the opportunity to nourish their growth.”
Annalee Holliday, Head of Grants Practice & Programs at Cumbria Community Foundation, shares her enthusiasm for the program’s impact, stating, “Positive Enterprise has had a truly transformational effect on the lives of the young entrepreneurs supported in the first two years of the program, and I can’t wait to see how this year’s cohort develop and grow in the coming months. Thank you for the support of our funders and mentors giving up their time to share their skills and experience.”
For more information on the Positive Enterprise program, visit www.cumbriafoundation.org/transforming-west-cumbria/positive-enterprise/.
