16 Annual Review 2026 17 Since taking part in Positive Enterprise in 2024, business is booming for Aaron Groggins, of Whitehaven. The programme allowed him to develop Lakeland Life, an event management social enterprise that has staged events from birthday parties and corporate gatherings. He has also created pop up streetfood festivals celebrating worldwide cuisine from Cumbrian makers, Eat Street Cumbria, which supported Whitehaven Pride Festival, attended by more than 10,000 people with over 80 stalls. A further grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) has enabled him to buy a marquee, tables and other event equipment that are hired out to local businesses and community groups at a subsidised rate. Here he tells us about the impact the Positive Enterprise programme has made, "Without Positive Enterprise, I honestly don’t think I would have started Lakeland Life. I had the idea, but didn’t know who to speak to, where to go or even how to properly start a business. The initial £1,000 also made a huge difference. It allowed us to cover those early start-up costs, purchase small pieces of equipment and put some of the foundations in place that helped us get off the ground, massively derisking the start-up process. I was paired with a highly experienced business leader and mentor, James Batchelor, who guided me through the process and shared what he had learnt from his own experience. Having someone who I could talk things through with, challenge my ideas and learn from was a huge factor in the success we have had over the last two years. The biggest thing I learnt was that you don’t have to have everything figured out before you start. Positive Enterprise gave us the confidence to try things, learn as we went and not be afraid of getting things wrong. The workshops and mentoring gave us a much better understanding of running a business, from planning and finances through to marketing, networking and developing an idea into something that people actually want. A lot of what we learnt in those early days has stayed with me as Lakeland Life has grown. We’ve had to adapt constantly over the last two years, and having those foundations has helped us make decisions with much more confidence. The next phase for us is about delivering more events, but not necessarily bigger events. We want to grow by delivering more smaller-scale events across Cumbria, creating more opportunities for local businesses and maximising the impact we can have in different communities. We have met so many brilliant people on so many different journeys, supported hundreds of local businesses and created what has become the Eat Street Cumbria family, which is something we are incredibly proud of. The public have embraced what we do and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported us, visited our events, shared our posts, traded with us and become part of what we have created. For me, that is what Lakeland Life is all about. It started as an idea, Positive Enterprise gave us the opportunity to make it happen, and two years later we are creating opportunities for other businesses and communities across Cumbria. We couldn’t be more excited about what comes next. Positive Enterprise For the past four years, the Positive Enterprise programme has been turning young Cumbrians’ business dreams into reality. Developed by Cumbria Community Foundation and delivered in partnership with the Centre for Leadership Performance (CforLP), the programme supports aspiring entrepreneurs aged 14 to 25. Originally launched in West Cumbria, this year it expanded into Furness for the first time. Each year, young people are invited to apply, with a new cohort selected by a panel of previous Positive Enterprise participants. Successful applicants embark on a transformative six-month journey, receiving a grant of £1,000 to start or grow their business, mentoring from local business leaders, and access to training designed to build enterprise skills and confidence. Annalee Holliday, Head of Grants Practice and Programmes at CCF, said: “Positive Enterprise empowers young people to test their ideas, develop their skills and take the lead in creating opportunities for themselves and their communities.” The businesses supported are as diverse as the young people behind them. This year’s ventures included pet photography, a mobile make-up service, a gutter cleaning business, and selling home cooked African food. Rhianna Smith, Project Lead for CforLP, said: Positive Enterprise doesn’t just focus on the business outcomes, the real impact is long-term – supporting participants to build confidence, resilience and essential skills that shape their futures. "It supports alumni beyond delivery too, helping them apply what they’ve learned as they move into education, employment or self-employment.” The programme has been funded by Brian Scowcroft, with match funding from Sellafield Ltd as part of the Transforming West Cumbria programme. Other funders include Nuclear Waste Services, Well Whitehaven, Morgan Sindall, Kaefer, Thomas Graham & Sons Ltd, the Printers Inc Social Mobility Fund and a private donor. Aaron Groggins Eat Street Cumbria, Whitehaven Some of the 2026 Positive Enterprise participants Anyone wishing to help fund the programme in future should email annalee@cumbriafoundation.org
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