Lee Chambers celebrates Highly Commended Entrepreneur win

Lee Chambers, the Preston-based psychologist and founder of Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing, has been recognised and highly commended in the Entrepreneur of the Year category at the Manchester Young Talent Awards.

Held at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel in the centre of Manchester, the awards are in their 11th year and recognise outstanding individuals between the ages of 18 and 40 who exemplify the best attributes of the regions young talent.

Organised by JCI Manchester, the awards this year have had a record number of applications, with professionals and teams from various sectors being shortlisted in the numerous categories, making competition tough and judging challenging.

This year's judges included some of the most influential business people in the region, such as Carol Ann Whitehead of the Zebra Partnership, Naomi Timperley of Tech North Advocates and Lisa Morton of Roland Dransfield PR.

The Entrepreneur of the Year category recognised an individual who had identified and capitalised on an opportunity to develop their own or start a new business. The judges were looking for a nominee who has achieved the above through hard work, dedication and determination.

On being highly commended in the Entrepreneur category, founder of Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing, Lee Chambers, said: "This is a special moment for us because it was so unexpected. While we have Manchester based clients, we were only one of a few entities up in any category on the evening that didn't have a base in the city. When added to the fierce competition and the calibre of individuals we were up against, it was quite the shock when my name was announced."

"As ever, when you are spotlighted, it gives you a chance to reflect and humbly recognise that not only did somebody nominate you, but so many wonderful people have supported you, lifted you up and encouraged you in the difficult times. The fact that I'm getting regional recognition is more down to my local support network and those first few clients that had faith in wellbeing that isn't very sexy but is measured and effective. My thanks go out to Hannah Matthewman and the JCI team for putting on an event that was beyond what I expected and showcased how much talent the North West has to build a brighter future."

As for Lee and Essentialise's outlook for the future, they will represent Lancashire in both the Greater British Entrepreneur Awards and the SME National Awards, hosted at Grosvenor House London and Wembley, respectively. They currently have capacity for an additional SME client who is looking to embed wellbeing without wasting their money. You can contact them on 01772 846198 or by email at [email protected].