Sweatband.com sponsors ThanksTo's Social Enterprise Challenge

• Thursday, 21 January 2010

ThanksTo has announced that as part of its support programme for young people it is launching a six-week long “Social Enterprise Challenge”, beginning in February 2010. The challenge, sponsored by multisport superstore Sweatband.com, will offer young people the opportunity to get involved in and learn about social enterprise, as well as making a positive contribution to their community.

The judging panel consists of a number of successful entrepreneurs with a reputation for blending business success with social concerns. It includes Tim Campbell, winner of The Apprentice, Martin Dawes, founder of Coffee Nation, and Dominic List, one of the secret millionaires featured in the recent Channel 4 series.( I have changed the text and repositioned it as it adds credence to the scheme and connects the judges with the ethos.)

Teams of up to seven people can apply to participate in the challenge, competing to find and champion the organisations and individuals who have really made a difference to their community. Their mission will be to encourage members of the community to publicly acknowledge and thank these hidden heroes by posting messages on ThanksTo.com.

“The challenge is a unique and exciting introduction to the world of social enterprise and entrepreneurship. Our objective is to provide an opportunity for youngsters to develop their skills at the same time as supporting local communities.” – says Caroline Ashcroft from ThanksTo.com.

Maz Darvish, CEO of Sweatband.com adds, “As a business that recognises the huge difference hard working people make to their sports and communities we’re proud to be sponsoring this very unique challenge. For us the benefits of the scheme are two-fold; first it will give young people an opportunity to acquire and refine vital business skills, and second it will acknowledge and reward those unsung heroes who put their hearts and souls into the teams and communities they serve.”

Each team member will have a dedicated role, ranging from Team Leader to Community Liaison and Marketing Officer. Every team will be assigned an entrepreneur as mentor, who will help develop their skills, as well as acting as an advisor to the group’s “mini-business.

Successful entries will be judged based on the number of thanks messages on ThanksTo.com, creativity and business acumen. The main prize is £500 and a prize pot of over £5,000 in sports and fitness goodies from Sweatband.com for the winning team, while the best individuals in each business role will be awarded with internships in some of London’s most exciting companies.

For further information about the programme please contact Caroline Ashcroft on c.ashcroft@thanksto.com or call 0845 359 9859. Full details can be found at www.ThanksTo.com

ENDS

Note to editors
For more information contact Ruth Stone, Orchid PR on: ruth@orchidpr.co.uk, 01483 538710 or 07788 417 109.

About the Social Enteprise Challenge
• The deadline for applications is 25th January 2010
• Individuals must be over 18 and based in Greater London
• All participants in the Social Enterprise Challenge will be invited to the awards ceremony in April 2010

The judging panel consists of:
• Oli Barrett – Serial entrepreneur and founder of Make Your Mark with a Tenner, www.olibarrett.co.uk
• Tim Campbell – Winner of The Apprentice 2005 and founder of Bright Ideas Trust, www.tim-campbell.co.uk
• Duncan Cheatle – Founder of ThanksTo and The Supper Club www.thesupperclub.net and www.thanksto.com
• Martyn Dawes – Founder of Coffee Nation, www.coffeenation.com
• Dominic List – Secret Millionaire and Founder of Comtact, www.dominiclist.co.uk


About ThanksTo
www.ThanksTo.com is a free service launched in June 2009. Its mission is to encourage people to thank and publicly acknowledge those who make a positive difference to their lives every day. It could be a teacher who inspired you to succeed, the lollipop lady who helps you cross the street every morning or simply a colleague who makes your day more fun.

As well as thanking individuals and organisations, ThanksTo is also about publicly recognising individuals and organisations by sharing inspirational stories about their kindness, bravery, generosity and dedication to helping others.


About Sweatband.com
Sweatband.com is the ultimate active sports equipment super store. Its range covers multiple sports and includes tennis, badminton, cricket, squash, golf and fitness equipment. Amongst the major brands represented are Head, Wilson, NordicTrack, Suunto, Dunlop and Polar. Unlike many fly by night Internet retailers, Sweatband.com has a long trading history over which time it has served many thousands of clients across the UK. The client base ranges from private individuals to clubs, coaches, sports professionals and celebrities.

For more information visit www.sweatband.com

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