21st July 2025
Ten teenage entrepreneurs from West Cumbria impressed an audience with tales of their business successes – and challenges – at a celebration event last week.
The young people, aged between 15 and 18, all took part in the Positive Enterprise programme, an initiative from Cumbria Community Foundation and the Centre for Leadership Performance (CforLP) to help young people go into business.
They were each given a £1,000 grant at the start of this year to launch or develop their own business, coming up with ideas ranging from selling crochet kits and outdoor wear, to garden maintenance and app development.
They all received six months of mentoring from an experienced local businessperson, and skills and leadership development opportunities from CforLP.
At a celebration event at Rosehill Theatre in Whitehaven, the participants gave a presentation about their business, explaining where their idea had come from, and talking through the successes and challenges they had faced.
Two were chosen by the judges to receive a further cash injection into their business.
Impressing them most was Elwood Razzetti, 17, of Wigton, with his company Madmarras, which he describes as “bold, Cumbrian streetwear inspired by the local fells.”
He designs T-shirts and hoodies featuring iconic landscapes such as Striding Edge, which he hopes to sell in Tourist Information Centres, markets and events across the county.
Elwood said: “I really believe this is just the start. This summer is the time – I’m going to push forward with the business, get going with my social media accounts and hopefully really make a success of it.”
Elwood received an extra grant of £1,000, while £500 went to Isla Hadden, 16, of Maryport, who was highly commended by the judges for her business Iris Vintage.
Isla upcycles and sells vintage clothing online, with the aim of making shoppers be more conscious of the environmental and ethical consequences of their buying habits.
“Many people prefer convenience over sustainability,” she said. “I want to use my business to promote my values. I’m climate conscious in all of my decisions.”
David Beeby, Chair of Cumbria Community Foundation, presented certificates to all the participants and praised them for their efforts.
He told them: “Be proud of what you have achieved, what you have learned and how it will help you in the future. If this business you have created doesn’t turn out to be what you want to do with your life – don’t worry. Try something else. You’ll have learned so much along the way, from each other and from your mentors.”
One of this year’s mentors, Georgina Goulding, owner of Bakes by Gina and the newly opened Beach Road Bakehouse in St Bees, gave the keynote speech with some words of advice. She told them: “Keep reinvesting in your business. Don’t see risks as a risk but as an opportunity. Don’t be scared to say you don’t know and ask for help.
“As a mentor, it has been absolutely amazing taking part in this scheme and I really hope to be involved again in the future.”
This was the third year of the Positive Enterprise programme, which is funded by property developer Brian Scowcroft with match funding this year from Sellafield Ltd, under its Transforming West Cumbria programme, and the Beverley Trust Fund.
The programme is delivered by the Centre for Leadership Performance. Executive Director Catherine Eve said: “Once again we have been blown away by the drive and creativity of all the young entrepreneurs. With the invaluable support from their mentors and our practical workshops and programme of support, they’ve developed key employability and entrepreneurial skills such as negotiation, time management, and business knowledge. I feel sure they will all go on to great things in the future.”
Annalee Holliday, Head of Grants Practice & Programmes at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “Thank you to all of the donors who have funded this truly transformational programme, which will no doubt have a lasting effect on the young people involved throughout their careers.
“We look forward to recruiting the next group of young entrepreneurs in the autumn.”
Stuart McCourt, Social Impact Manager at Sellafield Ltd, said: “We were delighted to support Positive Enterprise again this year. It is a programme with a proven track record, with many previous participants going on to run successful businesses or find employment using the skills they have learned.
“Having attended the launch event back in January, it was wonderful to catch up with this year’s cohort six months later and to hear of the ups and downs of their business journeys.”
The other participants were:
• Jorja Atkins, 17 of Whitehaven, who makes and sells crocheted items, from clothes to stuffed toys, under the brand Made by JJA
• Finn Blakely, 17, of Keswick, who has developed an app called Go Local Keswick to help businesses in the town promote their special offers and deals to customers
• Laila Brown, 17, of Maryport, who sells crochet kits with accompanying video tutorials, through her business Crochet Cove
• Thomas Henderson, 18, of Cockermouth, who runs a garden maintenance business called Greenblades
• Isaac Musgrave, 16, of Whitehaven, who makes handmade wooden crafts and refurbishes unwanted furniture and objects through his business Walkmill Design
• Sofiya Nealy, 17, of Maryport, who creates mental health wellness boxes through her firm Bright Beginnings
• Isabelle Walker, 15, of Whitehaven, who sells “timelessly beautiful attire” through her pre-Raphaelite-inspired business Emerald Bella Rose
• Oliver Woodend, 15, of Whitehaven, who sells comfortable, affordable gym wear through his business Woodend
For more information visit www.cumbriafoundation.org/transforming-west-cumbria/positive-enterprise/