JHMT Inspire Awards for six young people with entrepreneurial flair

SIX young people with entrepreneurial skills have all received awards from a local grants scheme.

SH, Gregor Sinclair and Kimiri Singh are all benefitting from Inspire Awards, along with Keltoum Baddaje, Zainab Ismaa'eel and Rahoul Naik.

Inspire Awards are small grants handed out to enterprising young people by local charity the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust (JHMT).

The charity launched the awards scheme to help young people fulfill their potential in music, sports, business and community work.

Eighteen-year-old SH, from Belgrave, is one of the latest raft of Inspire Awards recipients. He's been granted £300 to help achieve his ambition of launching a new financial website.

"The website is called Mr Curzon, because Curzon Street in London is associated with some of the world's most well-known financiers," SH explains. "As well as offering news on business, financial markets and politics, it will have a lifestyle section, and interviews with business leaders.

"The Inspire Award is key to helping me set up the site, because it means I can arrange hosting, get a business email and attract advertisers. I'm really grateful for the support from JHMT."

Gregor Sinclair, 21, from Leicester, has received a £200 award to help develop his skills as a videographer and director.

Gregor wants to set himself up to help local businesses make adverts, as well as covering events and developing creative art with other local film-makers.

"I need professional equipment so I can make really high-quality adverts and short films," says Gregor. "The Inspire Award will make this possible for me."

Budding photographer Kimiri Singh, from Newfoundpool, has been given a £150 Inspire Award to help her take her photography to the next level.

The 21-year-old says: "The Inspire grant will help me purchase some vital pieces of equipment. It means that I can build my portfolio be more creative and to get onto the right course, or into the right line of work."

Eighteen-year-old Keltoum Baddaje, from Spinney Hills, has a burning ambition to set up his own media streaming channel.

"The channel will be based on entertaining others and raising money when it is big enough," says Keltoum. "Watching live streams and asking for advice from the streamer has personally helped me to overcome a lot, and that sense of connection is something I want to give to my viewers too.

"The Inspire Award will allow me to buy the specialist equipment needed to kick-start my project, and for that I'm truly grateful."

Zainab Ismaa'eel, 18, from Leicester, wants to set up his own business buying and selling leather bags. He hopes one day to design his own range.

"My £150 Inspire Award will support me to set up my business," he says. "It will also motivate me to be successful, because I want to make the JHMT proud."

Twenty-year-old Rahoul Naik, from Leicester, has a passion for music and has set up Frequency 21, a music magazine run by and for young people.

Launched in January this year, Frequency 21 is hitting almost 8,000 views a month and has attracted some great writers and interviewees.

"The next stage includes setting up a new website for the magazine, which requires further resources," says Rahoul. "Our £300 Inspire grant will help us with our first aim of getting 20,000 views a week. It will allow us to develop a professional website, top SEO functions and a solid marketing plan."

Inspire Awards project lead Simon Taylor said: "The Joe Humphries Memorial Trust is always looking to support young entrepreneurs who have a passion and a 'big' idea. We've recently received a number of applications from the next generation of Leicester's entrepreneurs, and we're delighted to support them with their creative, professional and exciting ventures.

"We hope that in a small way, we're helping these young people to take their first steps in achieving their ambitions. We hope their ventures will be a great success and an inspiration to others."

Inspire Awards were set up in memory of Rothley teenager Joe Humphries, who tragically died of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS). Undiagnosed heart conditions like SADS can affect seemingly fit and healthy young people.

The Joe Humphries Memorial Trust works tirelessly to raise awareness of, and help prevent, sudden heart deaths. To find out more about the Trust's work and the Inspire Awards, visit www.jhmt.org.uk