Enterprise UK Blog

Enterprise UK Chair Peter Jones is a man who knows enterprise. In particular, he knows that entrepreneurial types repond well to a challenge, particularly one that encourages people to make a difference.

That’s why he recently challenged 30,000 young people to make money and make a difference in a month, and it’s why he has now thrown down the gauntlet to Britain’s SMEs and called on them to dig deep and back this year’s Sport Relief campaign.

Peter has answered a plea from former-Channel swimmer and all-round funny chap David Walliams to take on the role of – wait for it – fund raising guru in support of the BT Sport Relief Million Pound Bike Ride.

The 1,000 mile ride from John O Groats to Lands End is being led by Walliams and supported by a team of fellow celebrity pedal pushers – Jimmy Carr, Fearne Cotton, Miranda Hart, Patrick Kielty and Davina Mccall who are hoping to raise £1 million.

Peter is looking for 1,000 companies to donate at least £100 each. Ten of the companies that take part will be invited to a lunch hosted by Peter and his investment team, where they will get chance to talk about their business. Peter will also be catching up with the celebrity cyclists at various points en route in his mobile boardroom. That’s right, a mobile boardroom – a converted bus, to be precise, which will be the operational HQ of his and his team’s fundraising efforts.

Companies who wish to make a donation via Peter’s Pedal Power 1000 can do so on his very own website. What do you say, SMEs, are you in or out?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 at 3:14 pm and is filed under Global Entrepreneurship Week. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.