Wealden Business Group Raises £5000 for Kent Foundation for Young Entrepreneurs

Wealden Business Group (WBG), a Tenterden-based business networking organisation chose us as their charity of the year and presented a cheque for a fantastic £5000.

WBG has been busy raising money throughout the year with a series of events, including a black tie dinner in February which was attended by Liam Behn, Marketing and Communication Coordinator at Kent Foundation.

Donate to Kent Foundation for Young Entrepreneurs
Picture shows (from left) Paul Barron, Director of Kent Foundation, Anne Webster, Charity Dinner Committee Member and WBG’s immediate past chairman David Meredith.

“It was obvious that a lot of time, effort and enthusiasm had gone in to the planning and preparation of the evening and this was reflected in the guests that attended. I was joined by two young entrepreneurs who played a vital role in reflecting the work of Kent Foundation. Daniel Warren, young entrepreneur and owner of Mint Fresh Services delivered his business story to the audience and it really hit home to the guests just how vital business support can be to business success. Many of the guests congratulated him and were asking for his business cards”

Paul Barron, Director of Kent Foundation was presented the cheque at one of the weekly networking events held every Wednesday at the Little Silver Country Hotel in and told members of WBG:

“Myself and the rest of the team at the Foundation are extremely grateful for this generous donation from Wealden Business Group. There is a lot of synergy between the Foundation and WBG in the belief that networking is a crucial marketing tool in business, sometimes it’s not what you know but who you know. The contribution will help us to nurture the development of young people starting their own businesses, who are increasingly important to the future economy of Kent.”

1493291_662175307158740_880489715_oAs a business support charity all of our services are offered free of charge to young people under the age of 30 living in Kent. We believe in delivering a personal service and that every individual and business is different. We meet with every aspiring young entrepreneur on a one to one basis to deliver one to one information, advice and guidance. Ongoing support is provided provided by our trained Volunteer Business Mentors who are all business owners, experts and professionals from across Kent.

Donations such as this are vital in helping us to sustain the delivery of free business support to Kent’s young people and ensuring their best chance of business success. If you are passionate about business and would like to raise funds we have some fantastic Sponsorship packages on offer, or alternatively donating is easy via our Charity Choice Page.

SLA Partnership chooses Kent Foundation for it’s Corporate Support

A boost for young entrepreneurs!

Two of the County’s leading charities helping young people reach their business and employment aspirations are to benefit from a major new sponsorship deal.

Recruitment specialists SLA Partnership are to give £6,000 a year (£3000 to each charity) to support the Kent Foundation and the Medway Youth Trust. The Maidstone-based company is also looking to back the organisation of a sponsored golf fund-raising event for the charities later in the year.

sla-partnership-ltd-sponsors-kent-foundation-rectangle-685Welcoming the deal, Paul Barron, Director of Kent Foundation for Young Entrepreneurs said:

“This is a significant commitment by SLA to support our work and we are grateful to them for their commitment and generosity. As well as the money, their expertise in the job market will be invaluable in transforming ideas and initiatives into reality for those people that we engage with. Like all charities, we have to work really hard to find financial backing and I am delighted that they have chosen to back us at this challenging time.”

Medway Youth Trust’s Chief Executive, Graham Clewes, said:

“SLA’s support through their money, time and expertise is a tremendous boost for Medway Youth Trust and for our careers and employability work with young people in Kent and Medway. I am particularly struck by SLA’s desire for a long term partnership to help us in our work and I hope their lead will be an encouragement to other companies”.

Sarah Landry managing partner of SLA Partnership LTD had this to say:

“We pride ourselves on taking a thoroughly professional approach to our business, using our industry expertise and experience to provide candidates and clients alike with a service that is efficient and user-friendly. This is an ideal fit with the work of these two charities who, like us, look to encourage ways of achieving aspirations and ambitions. We focus on providing a quality of service to find a perfect match and I believe we have now achieved this with our sponsorship deal for Kent Foundation and Medway Youth Trust.”

Promote your business whilst supporting others!

To find out more about becoming a sponsor:

Call: 01622 694 341

Email: kent.foundation@kent.gov.uk

Miles and Smiles

It was a chilly October morning and people had risen early from the warmth of their beds. Their destination? Penshurst Place, the starting point for fundraising bike ride, Miles and Smiles. The place was buzzing with over 100 cyclists all ready and raring to go. There was only one way to get them started a big wave of the flag from The Viscountess De L’Isle. Not only is she the home owner of Penshurst Place but also plays the part of being the Patron of Kent Foundation.

The chilly morning turned in to a spectacular warm Autumn day, and it wasn’t long until we saw some cyclists pedalling their way to the finish line. Amongst them was a few sporting particpants in fancy dress.

We would like to thank all the cyclists for their sporting efforts. The volunteers for their organisation, marshalling and promotion of the event. Not forgetting our sponsors for their contribution to the goody bags and equipment for the day. That is not all British Cycling played a great part in supporting the event with an Event Officer in attendance for the day.

Wealden Business Group supports Kent’s Young Entrepreneurs

david-meredith-chairman-of-wealden-business-group-rectangle-690The Wealden Business Group (WBG), the Tenterden-based professional networking organisation, has adopted Kent Foundation for Young Entrepreneurs as its Charity of the Year.

WBG meets weekly to help members maximise their business opportunities and exchange information, sales leads and referrals, and has an active social calendar including charity fundraising events. In the past two years, it has raised almost £10,000 for local good causes.

Explains WBG chairman David Meredith: “We believe that we can be of real help to young people starting their careers, and wanted to offer practical support to those who will own and manage the Kent businesses of tomorrow.”
The Kent Foundation was founded in 1985, and provides tailored support through Business Mentoring, specialist enterprise training and access to finance through the Start Up Loans initiative. It strives to offer a personal service and match the enthusiasm of the young person.

Kent Foundation director Paul Barron was delighted by the news: “Having attended WBG I was inspired by their appetite for business and their enthusiasm to support the local economy. There is synergy between WBG and Kent Foundation for Young Entrepreneurs, this opportunity will help us reach out to more young people with potential to be innovative and contribute to their business success”

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