£50,000 competition launched to find disabled entrepreneur 2009
Disabled entrepreneurs from across the UK are invited to enter to win a £50,000 first prize as part of the search to find the winner of The Stelios Award for Disabled Entrepreneurs 2009.
This major annual award, run by Leonard Cheshire Disability and sponsored by easyGroup Chairman Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, rewards those with disabilities who have demonstrated exceptional entrepreneurial spirit in the face of significant barriers. Applicants must have a registered UK business with a turnover of at least £10,000 per annum, and will be judged on their business ability.
Stelios will present the 2009 winner with the award and a £50,000 personal cheque at the Real Business/ CBI Growing Business Awards, to be held in London on 26th November 2009.
The award, which was launched in 2007, was won last year by Andrew Thomson from Grangemouth in Scotland who runs Sign-now.com, a web-based video conferencing translation service which enables deaf people to communicate with the hearing public.
Commenting on the award, Stelios said: "I am very passionate about encouraging and recognising entrepreneurial spirit, and set up this award with Leonard Cheshire Disability with the aim of seeking out and celebrating business ability.
"With 50 percent of disabled adults in the UK out of work, removing barriers that disabled people face in business is essential. Self-employment is often the only viable option for many disabled people as it offers flexibility and helps bypass much of the prejudice that sadly still exists.
"We received a terrific response last year from disabled entrepreneurs from all over the UK and, as one of the judges; I was delighted by the high standard of entries. Arriving at a shortlist proved a difficult task, just because there are so many talented entrepreneurs out there."
Andrew Thomson said: “It was hard to find words to describe my emotions when the announcer said I had won last year. The £50,000 has meant I’ve been able to grow my business, hire a marketing consultant and develop new products to expand my customer base.
For the business to grow it is all about gaining the confidence of not only our clients but also the trust and support of the interpreters we employ - and the money has meant I’ve been able to do just that. I believe that a positive approach is the way to overcome the fear, prejudice and misconceptions that often stand in the way of disabled people. Disabled people experience disadvantage and discrimination in business every day, largely through ignorance, and this needs to change."
To find out how to enter visit disabledentrepreneur.org. The closing date for entries is 4th September 2009.
Comments
dear admin,
is this opportunity available in my country..Indonesia? I am a disabled people and now I have a small school and teach there.
Posted by: piter silitonga | August 30, 2009 07:37 PM
We are thinking of having a similar competition here as I think this that you had was great. I am the Fundraiser at the Branch office of Gauteng. We are also aving a huge job creation expo to promte the employmentof the Disabled in April 2010. I will forward the draft plan to you.
Kind regards
DAWN BELL
Posted by: DAWN BELL | September 28, 2009 05:27 PM
Respected Sir i am running a maastelefilms in Pakistan and working with an ngo Harmony foundation working for disabled people in Pakistan i have some videos to give awarness about disabled please help me how i can put my videos in competiton. hope you will help me.
Please search in youtube and write down
hf promo disabled
here all my videos you can find.
God bless you.
reply me soon
Posted by: Malcolm Ershan | December 5, 2009 02:16 PM