Eliza Bea McCann, a Leicestershire entrepreneur who set up sustainable leisurewear company, Noelle Ltd, has won a £500 Giveaway as part of a Leicester Giving Day celebration, organised by The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity (STWLC) and supported by partners Embark CSR.
STWLC announced Eliza as the winner of their Giveaway at the Town Hall in Leicester on Friday 18 November at the culmination of Leicester Business Festival 2022.
The Charity had invited entrepreneurs from Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to submit ideas to help grow or start their young business to be in with the chance of winning, and Eliza was shortlisted alongside four other entries from Jessica Byers (Jessica PA Support Services), Taher Dhuliawala (Neuroability Ltd), Joe Fuggle (theathleteplace) and Tarnjeet Kaur (WMK).
With unethical practices in textile manufacturing becoming more prevalent, Eliza set up Noelle Ltd to bring ethically-made clothing back to Leicester.
All of her products are made in an ethical family run factory, based in Leicester, and are GOTS certified. With the £500 Giveaway prize behind her, Eliza is now looking at the next stage of her business’s development and is planning to use the funding to raise awareness of her brand by investing in marketing campaigns.
Having been announced as the Giveaway winner on Leicester Giving Day, Eliza said: “So far, I’ve only invested my own money, so this cash injection will really help me. I’ve spent money on things I need to have, like a website, but doing more marketing is definitely going to help. I believe I have something good, but I’m trying to get it across to more people. This prize money will make a huge difference.”
STWLC Trustee Anne Whitlock, who was on hand to announce Eliza as the winner at the Town Hall alongside fellow Trustee Sue Cleminson, said: “On behalf of everyone at the Charity, we’d like to congratulate Eliza on winning our £500 Giveaway competition. We received many fantastic entries and it was a tough decision when selecting our shortlist, but Eliza stood out and is a thoroughly deserved winner of the prize. We look forward to seeing how this funding can help support and progress Eliza’s exciting business.”
An integral part of the 2022 Leicester Business Festival, which STWLC is an official supporter of, Leicester Giving Day provides participants with an opportunity to showcase their support for charities and local communities, by raising funds, volunteering services or offering gifts.
The £500 Giveaway competition was funded by STWLC, which supports young people in Leicestershire and Rutland who want to make the best of their lives by starting new businesses or educating themselves at postgraduate level.
For more information, please click on the relevant tabs at the top of our website.