The first graduates from the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy at Warrington Collegiate are proof that ‘Entrepreneurs are not born, they are made.’
This is the belief of Peter Jones CBE, star of ‘Dragons’ Den’, who has set up the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy ( PJEA), the first to offer further education courses in enterprise and entrepreneurship in the UK where students are actually required to set up and run their own business.
PJEA is an opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs to realise and achieve their dreams. Two students who graduate from PJEA this year are typical examples of the mixture of entrepreneurship and dynamism nurtured by the academy experience.
Lucy Sumner
29 year old student Lucy Sumner joined the PJEA to learn how to set up a business and now runs Sumner’s British Design and Craftmanship, a successful local enterprise.
Sumners produces bespoke furniture and interiors for both home and commercial purposes. Recent commissions include designing and building a fully serviced and eco-friendly garden room. Lucy and her business partner and husband, Martin, are now looking to expand the business throughout Cheshire.
Lucy is enthusiastic about the opportunity that the PJEA brings, saying, “During my time on the course I have had help with my business start-up with advice from a wide range of people including the Duke of York. The course is practical and has really helped me learn about business through experiencing it.”
Philippa Mason
18 year old student, Philippa Mason, has set up her own small fashion label, Alexander Warfield, and has recently completed a placement, shadowing the retail buyer at the head office of Marks and Spencer in London. Next year Philippa plans to progress to the London Fashion Retail Academy set up by Sir Philip Green.
