2015 Winners

NCEE and EEUK are proud to announce the winners of the National Enterprise Educator awards, celebrating the UK’s top enterprise educators. The awards ceremony, hosted at Hylands House, Chelmsford, brought together educators showcasing their excellence in enterprise and entrepreneurship education as part of the International Entrepreneurship Educators Conference (IEEC) gala dinner on the 10th September.


HE Enterprise Educators
Southampton Solent University for Re:So
Lisa Mann, Mark Flemming & Sadie Hiddlestone – Southampton Solent University

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The first award of the evening, the HE Enterprise Educators award, sponsored by the Higher Education Academy, went to Lisa Mann, Mark Flemming & Sadie Hiddlestone for Re:So (Retail Solent) The only permanent ‘student managed’, ‘student stocked’ retail store in the UK. Lisa is pictured with Dr Tony West of Anglia Ruskin University who presented the award on behalf of the HEA.

Re:So, The Retail Solent Initiative, is an innovative, unique retail concept. Introduced by Solent University (SSU), it is an innovative retail store and learning environment that provides a real life, work-based learning model, placing emphasis on developing students’ enterprise skills. Combining academic credibility with commercial enterprise, this project is perfectly placed to develop these skills in tandem. Re:So sets out to enhance and increase student enterprise experience and develop their understanding of how to operate in a real business environment.


FE Enterprise Champions
Trading Places Project
Christine Bissex, South East Wales FE YES Hub / The College Merthyr Tydfil, Ruth Rowe, Bridgend College, Lesley Cottrell and Bob Tod, Coleg y Cymoedd, Vanessa Janes, Coleg Gwent, Liane Wigley, St David’s RC College, Sean Hoare, Cardiff and Vale College and Chris Webb, First Campus, University of South Wales

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A Team led by Christine Bissex of the South East Wales FE YES Hub/The College Merthyr Tydfil were the winners of the FE Enterprise Champions category, sponsored by Cobweb. They are pictured above with Marianne Whitfield of Cobweb.

Trading Places is an annual enterprise project, in which teams of learners from six FE colleges create and run a pop up shop over three days.

Working in partnership with HE and the public and private sectors the project uses an innovative multi-platform approach to help participants make informed decisions about their future, combining the experience of studying in a higher education environment, preparation for business start-up, becoming equipped with transferable skills for employment and engagement with potential employers.


HE Enterprise Champions
SPARK – The University of Leeds
Kairen Skelley – The University of Leeds

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The final award of the evening was the HE Enterprise Champions award which was sponsored by Sim Venture Evolution. The award went to Kairen Skelley of the University of Leeds for her project which has the unique approach taken in securing significant alumni donations which fund the wide-ranging activities delivered by SPARK at the University of Leeds, has allowed her and her team to reach out across the campus, providing a level of unrivalled support to students and graduates. Her commitment and enthusiasm to enterprise is clear for all to see and rubs off on those around her. Her academic, business and pastoral care for her students is greatly appreciated and valued by all.

Kairen is pictured above with Paul Brough Jones and Peter Harrington of SimVenture Evolution.