Strictly Come Business final

Final challenge for Little London enterprising tenants

Shirley and Doreen Thompson who run their own art and craft business, Oualie Nevis, represented West North West Homes (WNWH) at the ‘Strictly come business’ grand final at Leeds Metropolitan University on Friday 5 June.  Shirley and Doreen offer bespoke packages of cakes, cards and floral decorations for special occasions.  

Judith Elliott, Lord Mayor of Leeds, began the proceedings by thanking the ALMOs for their financial contribution to the evening’s final.  She welcomed the business experts and the contestants who had benefited from the experience offered through Strictly come business’. 

To get the evening off on the right positive footing, an inspirational presentation was given by Richard McCann who has overcome a number of challenges in his life including being the son of the first Yorkshire Ripper victim, and spending time in Armley Prison for drug offences.  Through counselling and support he took a new direction in his life after prison.  He impressed on the audience that to succeed an ‘I can’ attitude to take up windows of opportunity can change your life.  He is now a successful author and motivational speaker, definitely an inspiration to those about to present their ideas to the panel and audience.

Six business ideas were presented to a panel of four judges, including Deirdre Bounds, who sold her successful gap year business, to a FTSE 100 company giving her personally a reputed £16m.  A true entrepreneur from Leeds who started her first ethical travel business in her bed-sit.  Lucinda Ledgerwood, no stranger to being interrogated, as she was a contender in the 2008 Apprentice programme, was also on the panel.

The pitches, in addition to Shirley and Doreen’s were:

• Ki Wear Ktd: a family business set up to source and market clothing for female anglers
• Export Connections: a company started by a Holt Park tenant, Janan Thompson, to connect UK manufacturers with global contacts for their products
• Holbeck Foods: a social enterprise company distributing fruit and vegetables grown locally with an executive board of Holbeck residents
• 570 Media Ltd: a creative media agency offering multimedia marketing solutions
• Clem Tech Computer Solutions: offering affordable recycled computers and PC repairs to tenants in social housing

The audience of around 150 people included WNWH staff and tenants, family and friends of those presenting their business ideas, previous area finalists, including two WNWH tenants, Kelly Newton, hypnotherapist, and Beverley Bonet, Beauty-etc, who offers spray tans in your own home, local housing organisation representatives and business mentors and contacts who have helped all the contestants develop their business ideas.      

Votes cast by the audience were added to those of the judges.  In true suspense style, the winners were announced in reverse order with Lee Griffiths receiving the £1k prize money for his Holbeck Foods business.  Our tenant from Holt Park came a very close second.  All finalists will continue to receive business mentoring through Sharing the Success.  We wish all contestants well as they embark on their business ventures.