The Telegraph features ex Marine Steve McCulley as Heropreneur of the Year, the top Award, at the Heropreneurs Awards.

You can read the full article here.

The full list of Heropreneurs Awards winners 2018 is:

Heropreneur of the year
Steve McCulley, founder, LIOS Bikes

Business leader of the year
Andrew Anderson, chief executive, Celaton

Large company employer
Barratt Developments

Small company employer
Handy Heroes

Entrepreneur of the year
Alex Matheson, co-founder, Fuel10K

Military partner in business award
Suzy Olivier, founder, Mama+Belle

Start-up of the year
Matt Wells and David Wood, co-founders, Frontgrid

Veterans’ Foundation award
Richard Cullen, chairman, Deptherapy

Warwick Business School bursary award
Iain Church, business development director, Moringa Miracles

Steve McCulley of LIOS Bikes, has been named as Heropreneur of the Year at the prestigious Heropreneurs Awards in association with The Telegraph, which were celebrated last night in London.

Peter Mountford, the Chairman of Heropreneurs and Founder of the Heropreneurs Awards, said:  “The Heropreneurs Awards recognise the outstanding achievements of anyone who has served in the Armed Forces, and their dependants, in the world of business. The skills that people develop who serve this country in the Armed Forces are highly relevant to the world of business:  leadership, resilience, and determination to name but a few.  Steve McCulley of LIOS Bikes is a great example to all military entrepreneurs of what can be achieved despite the injury that he suffered whilst serving in Afghanistan.”

Heropreneurs is a registered charity and member of Cobseo that provides free mentoring and support for anyone who has served in the UK’s Armed Forces, or their dependants, on the road to creating their own businesses.

Welcomed by a fanfare from the Band of The Welsh Guards and presented by broadcaster and journalist Naga Munchetty, the Awards also welcomed The Rt Hon Tobias Ellwood MP, the Under Secretary of State for Defence at the MOD, as well as The First Sea Lord Admiral Philip Jones and General Richard Nugee, Chief of Defence Personnel.

With headline support from Surge Group plc, Warwick Business School, leading American business OBXtek, Goldman Sachs and The Veterans’ Foundation a wide range of people and businesses were recognised.

These included a high protein, nutritious cereal for people on the go; baby-friendly jewellery that mothers can wear when children are teething; a home building firm that actively engages with ex-military personnel and a charity that uses sub-aqua diving for rehabilitation for wounded servicemen and women.

The full list of winners is:

Business Leader of The Year: Andrew Anderson – CEO, Celaton

Large Company Employer: Barratt Developments plc

Small Company Employer:  Handy Heroes – Matt Hammond/Rich Hughes

Entrepreneur of The Year: Alex Matheson of Fuel10K Ltd

Heropreneur of The Year: Steve McCulley of LIOS Bikes Ltd

Military Partner in Business Award: Suzy Olivier of Mama + Belle

Start-Up of The Year: Matt Wells & David Wood for Frontgrid

Veterans’ Foundation Award: Richard Cullen for Deptherapy

Warwick Business School Bursary: Iain Church of Moringa Miracles Ltd

 

QUOTES FROM THE WINNERS

Business Leader of The Year: Andrew Anderson – CEO, Celaton

‘Understanding what motivates you will help others to offer their advice. Above all, reach out to ex-service personnel who have trodden the same path before you.’

Large Company Employer:Barratt Developments

‘Armed Forces personnel think on their feet and are problem solvers. They don’t dwell on problems or over complicate them they just get on with it’.

Small Company Employer:  Handy Heroes – Matt Hammond / Rich Hughes

‘We would like to thank Heropreneurs for their support over the years since founding Handy Heroes, and we owe some of our success to both the support of Heropreneurs, whose business introductions and guidance have been invaluable.’

Entrepreneur of The Year: Alex Matheson of Fuel10K Ltd

‘Surround yourself with the best people you can afford and preferably ones who are better than you are in their chosen field.’

Heropreneur of The Year: Steve McCulley of LIOS Bikes Ltd

‘Probably the greatest attribute I have learnt is about trust. In the Marines a bond of trust is created due to a common strand in training. I now realise that is not the same in the ‘real world’ or ‘civvie street’. That type of trust has to be earned over time, rather than given immediately.’

Military Partner in Business Award: Suzy Olivier of Mama + Belle

‘Though life handed me a new path, [when my husband joined the RAF] one that I’m proud to say that I took on whole heartedly, and I couldn’t be more positive and grateful for where it’s led both me and my family, and where it’s going to take us in the future.’

Start-Up of The Year: Matt Wells & David Wood for Frontgrid

‘When running a start-up, sales is everything! You can have the best operations team in the world but if you don’t have clients, you don’t have a business.’

Veterans’ Foundation Award: Richard Cullen for Deptherapy

‘This is my life; my passion and I will do this as long I have the physical and mental strength to help those we work with.’

Warwick Business School Bursary: Iain Church of Moringa Miracles Ltd

‘The safe option would have been to remain in the Army, draw a salary and enjoy

some of the key benefits such as subsidised housing but having reviewed my goals I decided to jump on the basis that ‘jump and the safety net will appear’.

 

 

For further Information please contact:

 

Peter Mountford, Chairman of Heropreneurs

Email: peter@heropreneurs.co.uk

Mob: 07774 842761

 

As part of the Telegraph’s series on our members, here’s the latest article on one of our exceptional entrepreneurs – Justin Crump of Sybelline.

This was well worth waiting for!  Superb article on Steve McCulley of LIOS Bikes and how he created the business with a little help from Heropreneurs.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/connect/small-business/steve-mcculley-came-to-terms-dying-trench-in-afghanistan/

All too many veterans find leaving the Armed Forces, and returning to civvy street, a huge struggle due to physical injuries and mental health issues.  This may result in homelessness, unemployment, family breakdown, and a dramatic deterioration in their well-being. The Veterans’ Foundation is a charity that was created to raise funds for military-related charities and other organisations that do excellent and effective work in helping veterans in need.  This Heropreneurs Award category seeks to recognise an individual in civvy street, or a business, that has given outstanding help to such veterans.

Nominees of the Veterans’ Foundation Award must be an individual who is a civilian (not necessarily from a military background), a former member of the Armed Services, or a UK business.  The winner of this Award will receive the prize of a grant of £10,000 from the Veterans’ Foundation to be given to the charity that the winner runs or works for, or the charity of their choice provided that it helps Armed Forces’ people in need and is approved by the Board of the Veterans’ Foundation.

People can be nominated for this Award by applying here.

The Heropreneurs Awards is a new initiative created to celebrate the achievements of ex-Armed Forces personnel in business.  It is run by Heropreneurs, a charity created in 2009, that helps ex-Armed Forces personnel and their dependants on the road to creating their own businesses.  The Awards are run in association with The Telegraph and the Warwick Business School, and with support from the Ministry of Defence.