Celebrity supporters
The Make Your Mark campaign has a host of celebrity supporters from TV, film, sport, music and business. Possessing qualities similar to those needed to get a new venture off the ground, these individuals have made it happen for themselves, showing that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible.
Inspiring stories
Check out our inspiring stories section for the latest from our celebrity ambassadors and the business heroes who support our campaign. Here are just a few of the celebrities and business heroes who have shared their stories to help inspire others to make their ideas happen:
Recent news
June 2008
Prominent business women including Jacqueline Gold, Savannah MiIller, Pearl Lowe and Carry Grant are backing the launch of the Girls! Make Your Mark awards in partnership with Handbag.com.
Jacqueline Gold, Head of Ann Summers and Carrie Grant, vocal coach to the stars, will join Natasha Aitken, Editor of Handbag.com to judge five exciting award categories. Designer Pearl Lowe says: "I think the Girls! Make Your Mark Awards will help provide a fabulous arena to showcase the brilliant efforts of female entrepreneurs in the UK today. I know from personal experience that it can be challenging running a start up business, whilst juggling other aspects of your life, this is why I feel it is important to support and help champion females who have gone it alone and are realising their dreams."
The awards are open to entries until 21st July and those short-listed will attend a glamorous awards ceremony in September. For more information and to enter please visit www.handbag.com
May 2008
Environmental entrepreneur Dale Vince, founder of green energy company Ecotricity, believes the renewable energy sector presents today’s entrepreneurs with exciting possibilities. He's backing Unleash It! an exciting new way for people to think differently about what it means to be entrepreneurial.
Too often countless ideas never come to the surface leaving problems unsolved and opportunities missed. Unleash It! is a website where new needs and problems are linked to enterprising problem-solvers across the globe, unleashing creativity and innovative solutions to challenges around the world. It means a problem in Botswana can be solved by a team in China, or an idea from a student in rural Canada opens up a solution to traffic congestion in Nairobi.
Dale says: “The renewable energy sector presents today’s entrepreneurs with exciting possibilities and challenges including ways to keep the lights on, what kind of cars we will drive and how we will feed ourselves. In a post oil world and a world where we can’t afford to keep burning things and throwing things away, we urgently need to find sustainable solutions. Global Entrepreneurship Week 2008 presents a welcome opportunity to highlight the power of enterprising ideas – they really can make the world of a difference.”
For more information on how to take part visit: Unleash It!
Check out Dale's blog Zero Carbonista for green energy news
16 April 2008
BBC Points West newsreader Alex Lovell joined Bristol business women to experience a totally new kind of fitness. Toned arms, taught tummies and firm thighs are old hat. Instead pumped up profits, energetic turnover and a strong client portfolio is where it’s at in 2008.
The Bristol Women’s Business Workout was coordinated by Spark, the Women’s Enterprise Ambassador Network. It brings together successful entrepreneurs and enterprise champions across the UK to encourage women to recognise that business is for them.
A ‘Business Fitness Plan’ containing a workout schedule of sessions was led by business experts including Low Energy, High Impact PR’, teaching the secrets of good publicity on the smallest of budgets and some serious number crunches in the ‘Getting Your Finances into Shape’ class.
Alex said: “The Spark network is a brilliant way to demonstrate to women that running a business is a viable and exciting career option. With over 1,000 Spark Ambassadors already committed to telling their inspiring stories via events, school visits and the media, Spark looks set to expand even further. Setting up your own business is a brave step, so bringing together successful entrepreneurs and enterprise champions provides an ideal forum to share ideas and provide support. Women-owned businesses contribute about £60 billion to the UK’s economy so Spark’s aim to inspire women to go out and grab opportunities is really good news.”
For more information visit: Spark Ambassadors
March 2008
Zac Goldsmith is supporting Global Entrepreneurship Week 2008. It will see millions of young people around the world unleash their ideas to help find solutions to some of society’s biggest issues including poverty reduction, climate change and sustainable development. It aims to inspire millions of young people across the globe to join a growing movement of entrepreneurial people.
Fifty countries have already pledged support to inspire their young people to embrace innovation, imagination and creativity. To think big. To turn their ideas into reality. To make their mark.
Zac says: "There is no doubt at all that we are eating away at the worlds’ resources far faster than can be sustained. The maths is clear, and the implications of continued destruction are truly alarming. Business as usual is no longer an option. Global Entrepreneurship Week will help many young people to understand what they can do to help reverse these trends. That’s what we need if we’re to survive and prosper."
Zac Goldsmith is editor of the Ecology Magazine. In 2003 he received the Beacon Prize for Philanthropy and the Mikhail Gorbachev’s Global Green Award for ‘International Environmental Leadership' in 2004.
For more information on Global Entrepreneurship Week (17-23 November 2008) visit www.unleashingideas.org
February 2008
UK celebs have personalised sports balls to help raise money for Sport Relief. Rock band Kasabian and the cast of EastEnders teamed up to decorate balls to support ‘Make your Mark with a Ball.' It's encouraging young people to use enterprising ideas with a ball to raise money for Sport Relief to help vulnerable people living incredibly tough lives both at home in the UK and in some of the world's poorest countries.
Tom Meighan from Kasabian says: “Not only is this a worthy cause but it’s so easy to get involved; we had a real laugh customising our football after a kick-about – we’ll let you guess which one of us the feathered fella is meant to be!”
Punters can bid for their favourite celeb balls on auction site eBay from 6th -16th March with all proceeds going to the Sport Relief campaign – www.sportrelief.com .
For other Make Your Mark with a Ball celebs and the chance to win great prizes visit: www.makeyourmark.org/withaball and download an entrants’ pack.
18 February 2008
Musican and garage producer T2 is backing a competition to give young music entreprenuers the chance to win £3,000 worth of instruments and equipment.Three prizes of £1000 worth of instruments and equipment are up for grabs as part of the Take it Away competition run by Make Your Mark in partnership with the Arts Council.
T2 whose song "Heartbroken" reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart said:"I was thirteen when I started making music and I couldn’t wait to actually produce my own beats. A lot of young musicians out there want to get into producing but aren’t sure how or don’t have the equipment, so it’s great to see that this is offering both the know-how and the instruments."
For full details visit www.makeyourmarkinmusic.org. The competition runs for a month from 18 February - 17 March and is open to UK residents up to the age of 30.
4 February 2008
Singer Sandi Thom and hip hop artist Sway are backing a new website called Make Your Mark in the Music Business. It's designed for people who are driven by music or have ideas in music. It also provides the chance to be one of the first people in the world to play UPSTART, the revolutionary new, super-realistic role play game that puts you in charge of your own record label and takes you through the steps of signing a band and attempting to break them onto the UK scene.
Make Your Mark in the Music Business is supported by key players within the music industry including the British Phonographic Industry [BPI], International Federation of Phonographic Institute (IFPI), Music Manifesto, British Music Rights [BMR], and Sony BMG.
It was launched at an event in the House of Commons hosted by Minister for Skills, David Lammy and compered by Radio 1 Xtra presenter Jenna G. For more information visit Make Your Mark in the Music Business
10 January 2008
Tim Campbell, winner of the first Apprentice series and founder of the Bright Ideas Trust is backing Make Your Mark With the Mall, a national competition offering the chance for budding retail entrepreneurs to win a unique 'retail start up package.'
Entrants will have the chance to try out their business ideas for free on a Retail Merchandising Unit (RMU) in one of the Mall’s 23 nationwide shopping centres with one lucky winner going on to win a unique ‘retail start-up package’.
It's got the backing of The Mall, the UK’s leading community shopping centre brand, NatWest and RBS Business Banking. Tim Campbell said: "This competition is a brilliant way of highlighting the dramatic difference established businesses like The Mall can have on individuals and whole communities impacted by their endeavors.”
For more information visit Make Your Mark with the Mall
3 January 2008
Model Laura Bailey is the face of Make Your Mark in Fashion - a competition offering young people the opportunity to get a foot in the highly competitive fashion industry to develop a new sustainable fashion range for an existing brand. It's inviting anyone aged 14 to 30 to design a fashion range taking into account every aspect of a successful collection, from creative design and manufacture through to retail.
Laura Bailey says: “It is heartening to see Make Your Mark in Fashion bringing together experience and youth on the essential subject of sustainable fashion."
Judges and mentors are Ciel, Enamore, From Somewhere, Junky Styling, Juste, Liv, Makepiece, Terra Plana and The Hemp Trading Company. For more information visit Make Your Mark in Fashion
12 December 2007
Hollyoaks star Matt Littler, entrepreneur Seb Bishop and Dragons' Den winner Levi Roots helped judge the Make Your Mark Challenge final. Over 38,000 young people took part to help find business solutions to some of the world’s social and environmental issues with the challenge ‘Make it pay in a globalocal way’.
The three winning teams, one each from the school, college and university categories, won £3,000 for their institution and £100 of vouchers for each team member. The second place teams won £2,000 and the third place teams £1,000.
The national finals were hosted by MOBO award winning artist Akala. He said: “All the teams did amazingly well to get to the national finals, but the three winners showed the particular creativity and business understanding needed by entrepreneurs to turn their idea into reality. I really hope the Challenge has inspired a new generation of social entrepreneurs.”
For more information visit The Make Your Mark Challenge
13 November 2007
Dragons' Den star Peter Jones, Apprentice winner Tim Campbell and Emily Eavis of Glastonbury Festival fame are taking part in a national search to find the UK's finest young social entrepreneurs as part of Make Your Mark in 60 Seconds.
Young people (11-30) are invited to develop enterprising ideas for social and environmental change and to pitch them in a minute to be in with the chance of winning a £5,000 UnLtd Award to make their idea happen.
Social networking site Bebo is showcasing films of four young social entrepreneurs pitching their ideas. A toolkit for young people wanting to develop their own enterprising ideas is also available online for 11 to 30 year olds to submit their own ideas for social and environmental change…in just 60 seconds. They too will get the chance to receive up to £5,000 and coaching from UnLtd to make their ideas happen.
Make Your Mark in 60 Seconds is the brainchild of leading players in the social enterprise world, made possible by UnLtd, the Make Your Mark campaign, What If!, Bebo, the Social Enterprise Coalition and the Office of the Third Sector working with many others.
12 November 2007
Karren Brady, managing director of Birmingham City Football Club and entrepreneur Dominic McVey are judges in a national competition to recognise young people who have turned their ideas into reality.
The Daily Mail Enterprising Young Brits, supported by Vodafone, is open to people aged 30 or under who have grown their own idea, exploited an opportunity, or developed a new way of doing things.
Karren Brady says, “There are some amazing individuals out there running brilliant businesses at a very young age and it’s great to give them a chance to shout about their success. We need more young people out there trying their hand at business initiatives and the winners of this year’s competition are the excellent role models who can help inspire the next generation.”
To find out more visit Enterprising Young Brits
November 2007
Cast of the award winning musical Avenue Q are backing Make Your Mark in the Arts as part of Enterprise Week.
It kicks off with a focus on performing arts in partnership with Hit The Theatre offering 30 young people access to really cheap tickets to West End shows if they have a great idea about how to make the theatre more attractive to young people. The person with the best idea will also win a year of theatre tickets valued at over £2,000. After each show, the 30 winners will go behind the scenes to talk to members of the cast and crew and learn more about how to make their mark in the arts.
To find out more visit: Make Your Mark in the Arts
October 2007
Hollyoaks star Matt Littler is encouraging students to set up Make Your Mark Clubs in their schools. Clubs offering students the chance to share entrepreneurial aspirations and make ideas happen are being rolled out nationally following a successful pilot scheme.
Matt says: “Make Your Mark Clubs are a great opportunity for all young people who have great idea and want to turn it into something real. Get along to a Make Your Mark club to make your enterprising ideas into reality.”
The student-led clubs allow those involved to take risks, develop confidence and work together to use their skills to bring enterprising ideas to life. Make Your Mark is encouraging students within schools, sixth forms and colleges to run their own clubs and benefit from resources such as Club start-up guides, secure online forums and posters. Free resources are available to download and the site also gives teachers and students the opportunity to join a secure online network for sharing ideas.
24 September 2007
MOBO Award winning hip hop star Akala is calling for entries to the UK’s biggest live and simultaneous enterprise competition – the 2007 Make Your Mark Challenge
Akala says: “The national finals of this year’s Challenge are sure to be fiercely competitive. The teams representing their regions have proven enterprising skills and business understanding by getting this far; all the ideas that have got them here are worthy of winning and I can’t wait to see what the teams have got in store for the judges!”
8 August 2007
A day with young Formula One racing ace Lewis Hamilton was the prize in a competition launched by Vodafone UK, main sponsors of the McLaren Mercedes team, to support the Make Your Mark campaign. The ‘Hot Laps’ winner got a once-in-lifetime opportunity to meet the hottest property in motorsport and the chance to be his passenger around Goodwood’s Motor Circuit!
Celebrity support for some of our recent initiatives
A Grand Idea to Make Your Mark recently attracted support from celebrities including Lady Sovereign, Akala and Sir Alan Sugar. Jamelia provided her top tips for wannabe winners, and Kelly Rowland sent a good luck message to competition entrants.
Enterprising Britain is run by the Make Your Mark campaign on behalf of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and in partnership with the Regional Development Agencies and Devolved Administrations. The 2007 competition attracted support from leading business figures including Lynne Franks, Karren Brady, Simon Woodroffe, Peter Jones, Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, Sarah Tremellen and James Murray Wells, as well as celebrities Justin Ryan and Colin McAllister and Nicola Benedetti, BBC Young Musician of the Year 2004.
Daniel Radcliffe, Lily Cole, Dizzee Rascal and Theo Walcott were some of those involved in The Exceptional Youth Exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery.
Make Your Mark in Film aimed to inspire young people to make their ideas happen through film. It was supported by film producer Lord Puttnam, founder of SkillSet which trains young people to become members of the film and television industries. Lord Puttnam's production credits include Bugsy Malone, Midnight Express, The Duellists, Chariots of Fire and Memphis Belle.
Lord Puttnam said: "Make Your Mark in Film is all about working as a team. When it all comes together and the credits start to roll I know of no better experience.
"The actors might be the people with their name in lights but it really is a collaboration of minds which makes a film a success."
Brent Hoberman, co-founder of Lastminute.com, is also a supporter of the Make Your Mark campaign. He says: "Many young people simply don’t realise their own potential. By exposing them to teamwork and creativity or skills such as financial planning you can give them the confidence and self belief they need to make their ideas happen."
Get in touch
If you are a forward-thinking celebrity or have a high profile in the business world, and would be interested in inspiring others to make their ideas happen, please contact Rachel Burkitt on 020 7539 8587 or rachel@makeyourmark.org.uk