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BY Lucy Bannister | Monday 15 November 2021

Impressive young entrepreneurs were celebrated at this year's Youth Enterprise Awards

Becca Pettman of Gray's Boutique, receiving her award presented to her by her children.

Hull City Council in partnership with Hull Culture and Leisure (HC&L), Engaging Education, C4DI and Dave Bower of Design over Technology Ltd brought to Hull a virtual international audience to celebrate enterprising young people in the city and those that support them from the public, private and voluntary sectors.

We offer our congratulations to all the young people and their mentors who entered. We’d like to thank them for attending the virtual awards evening and sharing their incredible success stories.

This year’s Youth Enterprise Award winners are:

  • Northcott School, the Betty Hewitt Most Enterprising Primary School.
  • Blue Ceramics, Ganton School, the Jane Disbrey Most Enterprising Student Award.
  • Sammy Gibson, the MC4C Participant of Year.
  • Ash Tyson, Bad Wolf Gaming, the Sheila Waudby Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
  • Becca Pettman, Gray Rose Boutique, the Young Person Who Showed the Most Commitment Award.
  • Yuguo Liu, LEAN-APS Solutions, the Patsy Kays Partner of the Year Award to Promote a Youth Enterprise Culture in the City.
  • Blue Ceramics, Ganton School, the Gordon Wilson Youth Enterprise Award.
  • Cydney Newlove, St. Mary's College, the Nadine Fudge One to Watch Youth Enterprise Award.
  • Julie Robinson, Hessle Road Network, the Rita Pearlman Youth Enterprise Leadership Award.
  • Graham Henderson, MC4C, the Sue Salingar Business Advisor of the Year Award.
  • Megan Ruston, Ganton School, the Kevin McNamara Most Enterprising Teacher/Tutor.
  • Selebogo Molefe, the THUD Movement and the People's Fund in South Africa, the John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Award.
  • Tony Robinson OBE, Micro Biz Champion Patron John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank, the Youth Enterprise Champion.

Councillor Daren Hale, Leader of Hull City Council, said:

“During Global Entrepreneurship Week, we see how small ideas can take root and become viable business plans with the potential to grow into sustainable companies. This year’s Youth Enterprise Awards again celebrated our enterprising young people and those that support them such as teachers, business advisors, mentors and investors.

“I congratulate all the winners this year, but especially Cydney Newlove of St. Mary's College for being awarded the inaugural Nadine Fudge One to Watch Youth Enterprise Award. I’d also like to offer added congratulations to Hull-born Tony Robinson OBE for being awarded Youth Enterprise Champion for his tireless work supporting small businesses, including those part of #ExcludedUK, who represent business who have not received any dedicated financial support during the pandemic.

“As a council, we have set an aspirational agenda for today’s young people in the city to set up their own businesses, start social enterprises and cooperatives, improve their communities and become enterprising students or employees. All of this year’s award winners have helped us make another step in fulfilling our ambitions.”

Marc Ortmans, Chair of GEN (Global Entrepreneurship Network) UK and GEW (Global Entrepreneurship Week) UK said:

“A number of my colleagues at GEN UK attended the virtual Youth Enterprise Awards Evening and were blown away by the backstories of the winners. Becca Pettman, who won the Young Person Who Showed the Most Commitment Award, impressed us with the great determination she has shown this past year. We also enjoyed hearing about the fantastic work of Selebogo Molefe, who was awarded the John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Award for his role in the THUD Movement and the People's Fund in South Africa, as well as his joint work with people in Hull.

“As Vice President of the John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank, I was pleased to support its charitable donations this year to support not only enterprising young people in Hull, but also in Namibia and South Africa, as well as #ExcludedUK. They also offered support to local people such as women's football team Hull Pinefleet Girls, two young boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, as well as funding gifts for 50 families in need this Christmas.”