Lancashire entrepreneur Lee Chambers inducted into the Black Cultural Archives

A Preston entrepreneur has been inducted into the Black Cultural Archives.

Lee Chambers, psychologist and founder of Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing, was inducted this week as part of a cohort of 40 Black leaders from across the UK.

The inauguration ceremony, which took place at Brixton House Theatre in London, celebrated 40 years of the Black Cultural Archives (BCA).

BCA’s mission is to collect, preserve, and celebrate the histories of people of African and Caribbean descent in the UK.

As well as their induction, each of the awardees became part of a portrait exhibition curated by Sherece Rainford, which has been on show at the Black Cultural Archives building in Windrush Square.

Chambers, who is the only nominee from Lancashire, has been a proud advocate of his home county through both his personal and business pursuits.

2022 has been a successful year for the entrepreneur, who has won several awards and seen his company more than double in growth.

On being selected as one of the 40 inductees, Chambers said: “It is one of the proudest and most humbling moments of my life. To be selected alongside some of the most talented and revered Black leaders in their fields is truly an honour.

“Having this position allows me to become even more of a role model to the next generation, and it is a responsibility that I care about deeply.

“Possibly the most important part for me is being one of only five awardees from the North, and the only one from Lancashire, and I’m overjoyed to showcase the area that raised me in a positive light.”

The recognition comes at a busy time for Chambers, who has recently launched Black STEM Futures, a mentoring and support organisation for Black female STEM graduates that addresses the opportunity gap and inequity across sectors.

Dr Yvonne Thompson CBE, chair of the BCA, said: “This is a new era for BCA and with that, we recognise and celebrate new talent in our communities.

“It is important that we continue to keep the fires of creativity, education, and resilience, through our young talent to light the way for BCA, for the next 40 years.

“Together with Black Britain and Beyond, I have identified future leaders from a wide variety of industry sectors including arts, culture, and heritage to ensure that the home of Black British Culture is continuously grown and safeguarded for generations to come.”