Member Article

Newcastle entrepreneur scoops exclusive Downing Street deal

A Newcastle start-up has landed an exclusive contract to provide its range of gifts for Downing Street for the Prime Minister to give visitors including heads of state and foreign dignitaries.

Weekend Box is the brainchild of 25-year-old Andy Stephenson, and the brand supply activity boxes for young children.

The former software developer was invited to a special audience with the Prime Minister and the BBC ‘dragon,’ James Caan - where he impressed Downing Street staff so much they asked him to produce specially commissioned Number 10 boxes.

At less than two months old Weekend Box already has five staff, and Andy says the contract is a real boon that will provide an avenue for national and international growth.

The Essex-born entrepreneur also aims to take on three new members of staff over the next six weeks.

Andy’s lucky break came as he was chosen to be the Start-Up Loans scheme representative from the North East and Cumbria at the London event.

The firm used a £7,500 Start-Up Loan in July of this year to speed up growth and now the business is up for a national award, The Pitch UK - and hopes people will vote via this link.

Explaining the idea and the Start-Up Loans involvement, Andy said: “I call it ‘edutainment.’ Children will learn and develop without even realising it as they’re just having fun with their parents. Sales are already three-times higher than predicted and I’m really pleased with our progress so far.

“The team behind Start-Up Loans North East has been so supportive and if you have a good idea they’ll do all they can to help you develop it into a successful business.”

The Start-Up Loans scheme in the North East and Cumbria is delivered through a consortium including Virgin Money, Virgin Unite, The Northern Rock Foundation (NRF) and Project North East (PNE) – with PNE being the consortium partner responsible for arranging and making the loans.

To find out more about the Start-Up Loans scheme in the North East, as well as the new ‘Lean’ loans and how to apply, young entrepreneurs should visit startuploansnortheast.co.uk. To vote for Weekend Box in The Pitch UK, visit thepitchuk.com/pitch-shortlist/weekend-box and click ‘vote for me’ under the business logo.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .