July 2010 - Catherine Langridge (Luminist Glass)

As one of our July 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners,  Catherine Langridge plans to use her award money to cover promotional costs.

Luminist Glass manufactures custom-designed windows and door panels for schools, churches and other public buildings, private homes, as well as signage for businesses. Using modern and ancient techniques, Luminist Glass produces the beauty of church stained glass windows for homes and businesses.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/luministglass 

July 2010 - Fauzia Parveen Jahan (Signs4Life)

As one of our July 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners,  Fauzia Parveen Jahan plans to put her award money toward PR and marketing costs.

Signs4Life brings sign language into the public sphere and engages the deaf and hard of hearing with mainstream society.  Signs4Life has conducted deaf awareness workshops and tailored sign language courses with organisations as varied as The British Red Cross, Boots, Asda, and Royal Mail.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/fauzia
www.signs4life.org.uk

July 2010 - Jodie Hughes (My Health Cards Ltd)

As one of our July 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners, Jodie Hughes plans to put her award money towards advertising and marketing costs.

My Health Cards is focused on increasing awareness and ease of life for sufferers of various allergies, intollerances and other conditions. This will be achieved through the production of health advice cards available at no cost to the sufferer.

The company's first product is called 'My Coeliac Card'. This card outlines the foods that are and are not suitable for those suffering from Coeliac Disease. These cards are of credit card size and quailty and can be carried and presented in restaurants and cafes so that suitable food can be prepared without miscommunication between the sufferer, waiting staff and kitchen staff.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/jeh00005
www.myhealthcards.com

July 2010 - Micheal Holliday (Roots Design Workshop Ltd)

As one of our July 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners, Micheal Holliday plans to use his award money to improve the quality of the business' touring exhibition and the number of communities visited.

Roots Design Workshop offers an integrated service that combines architectural design with energy efficiency and renewable energy advice in an accessible way.

Roots are establishing Archivan (TM), a mobile office that will allow the practice to visit an increased number of rural communities to host a series of design surgeries.  These events make a professional service accessible by ‘moving the office to the customer’ and offering free advice about any projects which the public might have.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/MichealHolliday
www.rootsdesignworkshop.com

July 2010 - Amanda Dobbratz (IRONBBRATZ C.I.C.)

As one of our July 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners, Amanda Dobbratz plans to put her award money towards the cost of improving the IRONBBRATZ C.I.C. studio.

IRONBBRATZ CIC is a not-for-profit organisation which supports creative practioners. They place a strong emphasis on community and collaboration and strive to make the creative sector in Glasgow more accessible and inclusive. 

For more information visit:
http://ironbbratz.wordpress.com

July 2010 - Adam Soliman (Charbrew)

As one of our July 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners, Adam  Soliman plans to use his award money to help pay for marketing costs.

Charbrew is a specialist tea brand focusing on the high end of the tea market. Charbrew teas contains whole leaves, real pieces of fruit and spices. The teas are delivered in fully biodegradable tea pyramids made of a specialised polylactic mesh.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/adam.soliman@ymail.com
www.charbrew.com 

June 2010 - Lorna Syson (Lorna Syson Textiles)

As one of our June 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners, Lorna Syson creates hand-made sculptural textiles for home soft furnishings from her Midlands based studio.

Lorna also works on larger scale installations for hotels, shop decor and interior designers, offering a completely unique and bespoke service.

June 2010 - Natalie Pierce-Jones (Fairypants)

As one of our June 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners, Natalie Pierce-Jones' business Fairypants is a complete range of handmade dresses, corsets, fairy tutus, jewellery and accessories.

Offering a bespoke service from start to finish, along with a large selection of 'off the peg' items - customers can see a dress that has already been designed and made, then they alter it to suit their purpose. This is perfect for customers who want a bespoke dress, but have no idea where to start when designing it themselves.

June 2010 - Ijeoma Iwuoha (myTaskAngel)

As one of our June 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners, Ijeoma Iwuoha's myTaskAngel is a online service that enables people overwhelmed with their daily to-do lists find qualified and eligible "angels" within their neighbourhood or community to complete these tasks for them.

This service works by allowing you post a task you need completed, specify your budget and then relax and wait for the response of willing angels within our trusted network who are keen on completing these tasks for you.

June 2010 - Fred Clough (Scholify.com)

As one of our June 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners, Fred Clough's Scholify com is a website designed to promote collaborative learning for students.

Dedicated to all things student - Scholify provides a free platform for young people to interact and collaborate on academic and educational themed topics, allowing them to create spaces to work on group projects and discuss ideas related to their studies with the wider community.

June 2010 - Luke Boulton-Major (Karma Active)

As one of our June 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners, Luke Boulton-Major's company Karma Active currently provide alternative sports programmes to school children, and will be using the £1,000 prize money to develop an instructor pack which is purchased by potential instructors and trains them in how to deliver the Martial Arts Pack for their schools and community groups.

June 2010 - Lisa Bean (Gradvert)

As one of our June 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners, Lisa Bean's company LMBT Solutions is a consultancy firm specialising in student and graduate development and networking.

Under the registered trademark of Gradvert the company has been established to provide students and graduates with the tools, training, development and networking opportunities needed to achieve success in business.

May 2010 - Michael Slane (Napa Technology)

As one of our May 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners, Michael Slane plans to use his award money to help create a larger online presence and spread awareness of Napa Technology's product.

Napa Technology provides outdoor-specific, Full HD (1080p) LCD TVs that are visible in direct sunlight.  These TVs can therefore be used in bars and public spaces and are fully operational outdoors, without loss of visibility.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/NapaTechnology
www.napa-technology.co.uk

May 2010 - Kat Pattison (Sonodrome)

As one of our May 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners, Kat Pattison plans to use her award money to help pay for branding costs.

Sonodrome creates open source hardware and software. The products are electronics kits to encourage creativity and hands-on learning. Their new technology, the bio-signal interface, is a small circuit board which works alongside open source software on the user's PC (connected via USB), meaning that anyone can write any programme for the product which can then be shared with other users.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/katpattison
www.sonodrome.co.uk

May 2010 - Ivelin Metodiev (Unifieds)

As one of our May 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners, Ivelin Metodiev plans to use his award money to help pay for design and development costs.

Unifieds will be an online service allowing students to publish classified advertisements to be viewed by their fellow students from the same institution.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/Ivelin

May 2010 - Robert Grisdale (WhipBikes)

As one of our May 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners, Robert Grisdale plans to use his award money to help pay for the cost of an improved locking system.

WhipBikes provides universities with easy, environmentally friendly, self-service bike hire systems. Users receive all of the benefits (and more) of cycling around university without any of the hassle. Outside term-time, WhipBikes becomes a leisure hire system operating on the city's Quayside.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/WhipBikes
www.whipbikes.co.uk

May 2010 - Sadie Gee-Tredgett (Yoo Discover)

As one of our May 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners, Sadie Gee-Tredgett plans to put her award money toward design and marketing costs.

Yoo Discover is a listing website targeted at students in Southampton. It is a tool which allows students to learn about and search for places of interest from among many business categories in their local area.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/s.gee

Shell LiveWIRE Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2010 Promo

The £10,000 Shell LiveWIRE Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2010 is now open for entry at: www.shell-livewire.org/awards

The video above shows some of the LiveWIRE winners since 1982.

April 2010 - James Pursey (ElectroCute Systems)

As one of our April 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners James Pursey plans to use his award money to fund his prototype.

ElectroCute Systems is an innovative hotel electronics venture offering high technological touch screen systems that interact with a hotel's infrastructure.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/James5625
http://www.electrocutesystems.co.uk  

April 2010 - Nicholas Lee (Acadreamia Limited)

As one of our April 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners Nicholas Lee plans to put his award money towards advertising costs.

Acadreamia.co.uk is a textbook rental service for all UK students. By renting textbooks from Acadreamia, students can save up to 80% of the RRP of their course textbooks which they need for their studies.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/Acadreamia
www.acadreamia.co.uk
 

April 2010 - Danny Slevin (Objective Eye)

As one of our April 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners Danny Slevin plans to put his award money toward marketing costs.

Objective Eye is a mystery shopping business offering bespoke mystery shopping programmes to small to medium enterprises

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/look_sharp
www.objective-eye.co.uk

April 2010 - Allister Furey (Red Kite Energy)

As one of our April 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners, Allister Furey plans to use his award money to cover patent costs for his software.

Red Kite Wind Energy develops high altitude wind energy systems. These systems are the successors to conventional wind turbines, using tethered wings to capture the wind energy instead of blades and towers.

For more information, visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/alfurey

April 2010 - Joshua Mason Allen (LROPS)

As one of our April 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners, Joshua Mason Allen, plans to put his award money towards the cost of an advertising and marketing campaign.

LROPS offer aviation gift experiences, allowing enthusiasts and anyone from the general public a chance to fly a simulator - much like the ones that are used to train real pilots. 

For more information, visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/Joshua Mason-Allen
http://lrops.com/

March 2010 - Rebecca Andrews (Not For Ponies)

As one of our March 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners,  Rebecca Andrews plans to use her award money to help pay for marketing costs.

Not For Ponies designs and manufactures sustainable fashion items such as: recycled t-shirts, sweatshirts and dresses, recycled accessories, and re-worked vintage clothing.  Alongside their main product range, they also offer 'upcycling' and sewing workshops (upcycling is the process of taking something old or unwanted and turning it into something new).

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/NotForPonies
www.notforponies.co.uk

March 2010 - Nicola Gray (Fidgets)

As one of our March 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners, Nicola Gray plans to use her award money to help grow and develop her business.

Fidgets is a unique hair salon designed specifically for children, toddlers and teenagers.  At Fidgets, children can choose from a selection of 'character cars' to sit in and watch a dvd while the sylist goes to work.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/kikiskabin
www.thesalonforkids.co.uk

March 2010 - Pamela Haining (OfficeBadger)

As one of our March 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners, Pamela Haining plans to use her award money to help with website design and branding costs.

OfficeBadger is an innovative approach to financial accounting.  It is a simplified, paperless, online accounting service that maintains monthly accounts, producing monthly and year end financial statements for professionals, sole proprietors and partners.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/phaining
www.officebadger.com

March 2010 - Tim Yusupov (Zooza.co.uk)

As one of our March 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners, Tim Yusupov plans to use his award money to help with marketing costs of his website Zooza.co.uk.

Zooza is an online retailer that plans to sell a single product at a time and at the lowest price in the UK. Products will change when stock runs out and inventory will be procured from overstocked retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers, allowing Zooza to offer extremely high discounts, upwards of 80% off.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/yusupov
www.zooza.co.uk
 

March 2010 - Louise Broni-Mensah (Shoobs)

As one of our March 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners, Louise Broni-Mensah plans to use her award money to launch an online marketing campaign.

Shoobs provides an innovative online ticketing solution for small to medium size entertainment event organisers to promote, network and sell out events. The business aims to simplify the fragmented marketplace of small entertainment event ticketing, into an easy to use, consumer focused platform.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/afuaafra
http://shoobs.com/

March 2010 - Edwin Broni-Mensah (GiveMeTap)

Edwin Broni-Mensah was awarded £1,000 for his business in a special Shell LiveWIRE elevator pitch competition that took place at the NACUE 'Business Not As Usual' conference at UCL London on 27th-28th March 2010.

Despite some excellent pitches from 23 young student entrepreneurs, it was a landslide victory for Edwin, whose GiveMeTap business enables users of a specially-branded GiveMeTap bottle (costing £7) to get free tap water refills from a network of cafes and restaurant owners in the Manchester area (with London soon to follow).

For more information, visit:
http://www.givemetap.co.uk

Thanks to @AnthonyNFrancis for supplying this video.

Feb 2010 - Dave Stone (UKloupes)

As one of our February 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners, UKloupes was established by an enthusiastic dental student who felt bitter about the extortionate prices students were expected to pay for dental loupes. After much independent research Dave Stone found that the price of these loupes was only around 15% of the price they were being sold for. UKloupes therefore seek to supply affordable dental loupes to students, aiming to improve the physical health of dental students and to raise the quality and speed of dental treatment.

To find out more visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/davestone
www.ukloupes.co.uk

Feb 2010 - Ben Scrimgeour (Ben Scrimgeour Building Workshop)

Ben Scrimgeour Building Workshop is a design and build company, working on anything from a new family home, to a kitchen extension, to a cattle shed or a luxury hen house!  We have an initial meeting with clients with a cup of tea and a slice of cake and we take care of the project from this point until the project is completed, using local tradesmen that we know and trust.

Ben is using the £1000 funding to invest in a computer aided design package for drawing (ArchiCAD) - a more creative and innovative programme than the market leader, AutoCAD that was recommended to him by forward thinking and successful architects.

With ArchiCAD, their office out-put will increase dramatically. Instead of drawing at least 10 different drawings for each project (4 elevation drawings, 4 sectional drawings, floor plans of each floor), the building is drawn once in 3D from the start and elevations and sections can be selected for print.  This programme can be used to design efficiently for projects using natural building materials and sustainable techniques, unlike AutoCAD which is used across the board, and much more expensive at around £4000.

To find out more visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/Building%20Workshop

Feb 2010 - Deborah Cairns (Organise Your Chaos)

As one of our February 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners, 'Organise Your Chaos' will produce stylish and sexy yet functional diary covers designed for today's community nurse.

Impressive design features ensure that they are a must-have for nurses needing to carry round not only diaries but assessment frameworks, prescribing formularies and weight conversion charts, amongst many other items.

Until 2007, diary covers were provided by Pharmaceutical companies free of charge as a form of advertising. This practice was banned by the NHS as inappropriate promotion of certain medications/preparations and this niche market need has yet to be filled.

By producing a wide range of styles and an effective pricing strategy Deboarah believes this product is sustainable through the need for replacement products over time, changing image needs as nurses progress up the career ladder and new ones qualify.

To find out visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/dcairns

Feb 2010 - Rombout Frieling (FarmRoast)

As one of our February 2010 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winners, the vision of FarmRoast is to create a totally new experience for coffee drinkers.

Of the £3 pounds spent on a 250-gram pack of coffee in the supermarket, less than 30p flows back to the farmers that devote the most time to growing this coffee.  In order to do the farmers more justice, Rombout has developed a technology that allows farmers in Africa to directly sell to consumers.

This way, FarmRoast can both bring a superior coffee experience to the consumer and create a business model based on green coffee beans that come directly from developing world farmers bypassing two steps in the distribution chain.

To find out more visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/farmroast

Dec 2009/Jan 2010 - Adam Hastings (Drink Tea Eat Biscuits)

As one of our December 2009 - January 2010 Shell LiveWIRE ‘Grand Ideas’ Awards Winners, Adam Hastings (Drink Tea Eat Biscuits) plans to use his award money to pay to vinyl wrap a car so that it appears to be covered in biscuits, as part of a marketing campaign.

Drink Tea Eat Biscuits is a team of three graphic designers who thrive on challenges and design anything from logos to websites. The company prides itself on its client-centred approach to design.  They encourage client input and aim to create ideas with them rather than simply for them.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/drinkteaeatbiscuits
www.drinkteaeatbiscuits.co.uk 

Dec 2009/Jan 2010 - Tristan Watson (Kwince)

As one of our December 2009 - January 2010 Shell LiveWIRE ‘Grand Ideas’ Awards Winners, Tristan Watson (Kwince) plans to use his award money to commission the development of design mock-ups that will address the site's need for both an attractive facade and easy to use registration/purchasing process.

Kwince brings together artisanal food and beverage producers to promote and sell their goods online. The site will be available to producers from across the United Kingdom and will showcase the best of each region’s produce. After simple registration process producers will be able to set up a store in the network, upload their products and start selling. Kwince will handle the checkout and payment for each sale, which allows a customer to purchase products from different producers with one secure payment. The site will also feature a social networking aspect that will enable people to interact, become 'friends' and leave reviews and feedback

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/tristanwatson82

Dec 2009/Jan 2010 - Shira Rubin (Learn2lingo)

As one of our December 2009 - January 2010 Shell LiveWIRE ‘Grand Ideas’ Awards Winners, Shira Rubin (Learn2lingo) plans to use her award money to help develop an online marketing campaign.

learn2lingo is an online platform for learning and teaching languages via webcam. Their online classroom connects teachers and learners around the world for live one-to-one language lessons. Learn2lingo offers complete flexibility and convenience for users by catering to their individual schedules and learning needs. Lessons are either pre-booked or on demand, allowing people to bring a language teacher direct into their home via webcam. 

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/shira
www.learn2lingo.com 

Dec 2009/Jan 2010 - James Martin (AAAS Steering)

As one of our December 2009 - January 2010 Shell LiveWIRE ‘Grand Ideas’ Awards Winners, James Martin (AAAS Steering) plans to use his award money to build a second generation prototype of his invention.

AAAS Steering is a steering system with distinct advantages over conventional steering. It is more responsive, has a better turning circle and produces much less wear on the tyres as the user affects a turn. The latter ensures that the tyres have a longer life and during operation release less particulates into the air, making it more environmentally friendly. 

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/affinity812  

Nov 2009 - Nicola Jordan (iNeedBabysitter)

As one of our November 2009 Shell LiveWIRE ‘Grand Ideas’ Awards Winners, Nicola Jordan (iNeedBabysitter) plans to use her award money on marketing and web development.

iNeedBabysitter is a premium rate babysitting service aimed at higher income families.  As a specialist service, all staff are fully CRB background checked and are professionally trained university graduates. In this way, their babysitting services are carried out by well-rounded individuals and delivered to footballers, directors and other high-level professionals. 

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/nicj

Nov 2009 - Janan Thompson (Export Connections)

As one of our November 2009 Shell LiveWIRE ‘Grand Ideas’ Awards Winners, Janan Thompson (Export Connections) plans to put her award money towards the launch of a marketing campaign.

Export Connections provides manufacturers with the opportunity to export their products overseas.  They provide their clients with research and overseas distribution networks and introductions to those networks.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/jin83uk
www.export-connections.co.uk

Nov 2009 - Laura Milligan (Laura Felicity)

As one of our November 2009 Shell LiveWIRE ‘Grand Ideas’ Awards Winners, Laura Milligan (Laura Felicity), plans to use her award money to purchase materials for the projects she is currently working on.

Laura Felicity designs and produces silkscreen-printed wallpapers and home wares as well as hand-stitched plaster features.  All products are created by hand, which means each piece is distinctive in terms of production. The designs feature a combination of floral and ornate patterns to create a modern elegance.  The wallpaper and home wares consist of a number of layers and each layer is individually screen printed. 

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/l_milligan
www.laurafelicity.co.uk

Oct 2009 - Chris Greenwood (Cougar Cricket)

As one of our October 2009 Shell LiveWIRE ‘Grand Ideas’ Awards Winners, Chris Greenwood (Cougar Cricket) plans to put his award money toward Cougar Cricket's upcoming Wispa marketing campaign.

Cougar Cricket offers cricket courses in the Somerset area for 6-15 year olds, with the intention of franchising the Cougar brand further afield once established. Cougar Cricket offers an alternative to the stale, samey Saturday morning clubs that are currently the norm for young people seeking accessible sport.  They are a young, enthusiastic and vibrant company that endeavours to use their extensive cricket contacts to add an exciting element to their coaching and training programs.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/CougarCricket

Oct 2009 - Anu Adebajo (The Weave Boutique)

As one of our October 2009 Shell LiveWIRE ‘Grand Ideas’ Awards Winners, Anu Adebajo (The Weave Boutique) plans to put her award money toward a marketing campaign that will help her to expand her products.

The Weave Boutique sells a wide range of branded hair extensions aimed mainly at the Afro-Caribbean market. They are the first of their kind in the UK to operate purely online, and are one of the few "hair shops" run by women. In addition to selling products, The Weave Boutique also provide tips, trends and reviews to allow black women in the UK to be as informed as their American counterparts.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/aa412
www.theweaveboutique.com

Sep 2009 - David McGranaghan (Starring Roll Ltd)

As one of our September 2009 Shell LiveWIRE ‘Grand Ideas’ Awards Winners, David McGranaghan (Starring Roll Ltd) plans to use his award money to build a prototype of his product – Starring Roll. 

Starring Roll is a board game that is aimed at families and friends who enjoy socialising and entertainment. It involves moving around the board as a character and 'auditioning' for roles in films, TV shows, plays and commercials. The 'auditions' encourage players to let go of their inhibitions and perform a number of challenges with accents, gargling, funny faces, silly voices, etc. Along the way, the players can collect, lose and gamble 'contacts', which enable them to move along more quickly. The first player to become the 'Superstar' is the winner. It is a game that appeals to the performer and celebrity in everyone.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/Dave%20McGranaghan

Sep 2009 - Chinedu Ume-Ezeoke (Green Light)

As one of our September 2009 Shell LiveWIRE ‘Grand Ideas’ Awards Winners, Chinedu Ume-Ezeoke (Green Light), plans to use his award money to increase product production and enable him to package and brand his product.

Green Light creates a range of recycled waste oil candles. In keeping with a green and eco-friendly theme, the majority of ingredients are sourced locally from restaurants and households. Green Light plans aims to expand and sell to restaurants, bars and individual consumers.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/chiois

Sep 2009 - Daniel Callaghan (MBA & Company)

As one of our September 2009 Shell LiveWIRE ‘Grand Ideas’ Awards Winners, Daniel Callaghan plans to use his award money to help grow his business.

www.MBAandCompany.com is an online global consultancy brokerage where companies all around the world can post short-term bespoke projects or research for execution by MBA students and graduates from the world's leading business schools. The service matches these projects to the appropriate MBA, based on a number of filters such as market, industry, function or cost and allows an efficient turn-around of work. 

For more information visit:
www.mbaandcompany.com
www.shell-livewire.org/network/mba and company

Sep 2009 - Ruth Ferguson (Olga Olsen)

As one of our September 2009 Shell LiveWIRE ‘Grand Ideas’ Awards Winners, Ruth Ferguson, plans to use her award money to enable her to spend time in India with farmers, spinners and weavers so she may develop her fabrics.

Before now, ethical fashion has never been desirable or sexy enough to be successful on the mainstream market. Olga Olsen is different. Olga Olsen produces cute, unique bikinis in Europe and Brazil, and gorgeous dresses and tops from sustainable handloom fabrics in India. Olga Olsen is concerned with products that enhance diversity, celebrate traditions, build communities, create meaningful employment, and respect local environmental conditions.  It is a combination of product, skill and emotional investment.  Olga Olsen is not just a brand but a vehicle communicating a lifestyle. It is bohemian, sexy and contemporary, combining quality with unique and innovative production.

For more information visit:
www.olgaolsen.com
www.shell-livewire.org/network/olgaolsen

Sep 2009 - Andre Campbell (Enfuse Youth)

As one of our September 2009 Shell LiveWIRE ‘Grand Ideas’ Awards Winners, Andre Campbell, plans to use his award money to help build innovative and creative programmes to use in his company.

‘Enfuse Youth’ is a series of programmes, one-to-one mentoring sessions and consultancy service, which provides a solution to problems facing today’s young people aged 13-21, such as employability and self-employability issues.  Enfuse Youth aims to embed the spirit of entrepreneurship within the student body and help them to develop their business ideas or gain enterprising and employability skills in an interactive learning environment. ‘Enfuse Youth’ encourages self motivation, raises confidence, challenges anti-social and offending behaviour and ensures young people have an opportunity to achieve their full potential.

For more information visit:
www.enfuseyouth.com
www.shell-livewire.org/network/andrecampbell

Aug 2009 - Thea Planer (Coco Bébé)

As one of our August 2009 Shell LiveWIRE 'Grand Ideas' Awards winners, Coco Bébé sells handmade baby skincare products that are scented with cocoa and vanilla, steering clear of using the stereotypical 'baby powder' smells. The products contain a minimum of chemicals, so they are not just kind to baby but to the environment as well. These scented products are handmade by a small independent cosmetic maker based in the UK and are designed to appeal to babies and parents alike.

For more information visit;
www.shell-livewire.org/network/theaplaner
www.cocobebe.co.uk/

Aug 2009 - Shaun A Townsend (SAT making things happen)

As one of our August Shell LiveWIRE 'Grand Ideas' Awards winners, SAT ‘making things happen’ is a cutting edge and imaginative organisation with a passion for the arts and cultural development. 

The company plans to organise a range of arts projects, while also being a source of information, training, advice and support.  Their aims are to run a programme of work which is diverse, inspiring, relevant to participants and dynamic, while working creatively with people of all ages and from all walks of life and reaching out to groups through working in partnership with a range of organisations and venues.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/towns169/
www.makingthingshappen.org.uk/

Aug 2009 - Pete Noble (InnoVii Ltd)

As one of our winners of the August Shell LiveWIRE 'Grand Ideas' Awards, InnoVii’s product is a PC/Mac based downloadable software entitled Tonebook which incorporates a consumer and business-to-business element providing reciprocal business opportunities.

Tonebook’s primary function allows the user to create and edit ringtones, message alerts and alarm tones from any form of media including CD, DVD or internet downloads. The user can even mix up to three tracks together with Tonebook DJ. Their MIS system intelligently collates information based upon the program usage, creating consumer profiles detailing spend patterns and musical proclivities. This information can be utilised to create intelligent marketing portfolios which can be sold to any organisation involved in the music entertainments industry.

For more information on Pete Noble and InniVii Ltd go to;
www.shell-livewire.org/network/pete.noble.innovii/
www.innovii.co.uk

July 2009 - Tusheeta David (Tusheeta David Designs)

As one of three Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Awards winners for July 2009, Tusheeta David Designs centres on beautifully crafted bespoke pieces of acrylic jewellery, combining modern laser-cutting technology with traditional hand-crafted techniques, resulting in highly detailed and unique pieces of jewellery.

Tusheeta David recycles unused acrylic from sign makers and other sources to create stunning pieces of jewellery.  By re-using waste acrylic that would otherwise contribute to landfills, Tusheeta David Designs produces ethically-aware jewellery with the added appeal of being environmentally friendly.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/tusheeta
www.tusheeta.com

July 2009 - Kenneth Cheung (BEEcycle)

As one of three Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Awards winners for July 2009, BEEcycle creates and provides innovative products and services for food waste recycling and indoor gardening.

Their latest product, the OvO, is a mini-eco-system and an educational toy used to teach children about composting and food waste recycling. The system breaks food waste down into compost in 14 days. The resulting compost can be used to plant a seed. The OvO contains a self-watering system, removing the hassle that comes with growing a plant, and comes with teaching materials and lesson plans for schools and teachers to easily adopt into the classroom.

To find out more visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/kenky
www.beecycle.co.uk

July 2009 - Miles Noble (GigLocator.com)

As one of three Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Awards winners for July 2009, GigLocator.com is a live music aggregator that helps music lovers discover, enjoy and share live music.

GigLocator.com has one of the biggest collections of worldwide gigs, sourcing from virtually every single ticket provider in the world as well as from small non-paid sites. The seasoned gig goer is able to instantly find, track and keep up-to-date with the music and artists they love, as well as network with other music-lovers and hook up with 'gig buddies' in their area.

To find out more visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/giglocator
www.giglocator.com

June 2009 - Selinna Simms-Juke (A'lissia Couture)

As winner of one of five £1,000 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Awards in June 2009, Selinna Simms-Juke (A'lissia Couture) produces bespoke womens clothing and accessories using fabrics that are hand-printed and embellished using silk screen printing, batik, devore and gold work.

Selinna will be using her £1,000 prize money to introduce laser engraving and cutting, to experiment on alternative, natural fabrics, and to develop her home workshop.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/simms%20-%20juke/

June 2009 - Amy Scott-Murray (FoldClever)

As winner of one of five Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Awards in June 2009, Amy Scott-Murray has developed an educational craft toy known as 'FoldClever' that provides an innovative and fun way of teaching school children about science, tech studies, history and other subjects.

The product is an interactive DVD containing print-out paper models of the topic, and after printing, the children watch step-by-step animated video showing them exactly how to build it and teaching them facts and points of interest about the subject.

Amy will be using the £1,000 prize money to fund a formalised and more extensive testing programme, to achieve a final product which matches exactly what her customers want.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/amy_517

June 2009 - Jude Pullen (Pressure Alert)

As winner of one of five Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Awards in June 2009, Jude Pullen will be using the £1,000 prize money to refine an existing prototype of his 'Pressure Alert' - a unique adaptation for a medical device known as an endotracheal tube which has been enthusiastically received by a wide range of medical practitioners as an “excellent concept…nice and simple, easy to see, no extra connections” and was considered to be a “significant step forward in patient care” if successfully launched.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/Jude%20Pullen/
www.coroflot.com/Jude_Pullen

June 2009 - Daniel Watson (SafetyNet)

As winner of one of five £1,000 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Awards in June 2009, Daniel Watson (SafetyNet) hopes to help cut down on the accidental capture of juvenile and non-target fish in the North Sea mixed fishery by using fish behaviour and physiology to separate them by age and species, lower fuel consumption while trawling (cutting down on costs for fishermen and environmental damage caused by exhaust) and reduce damage to the seabed and the trawl itself by floating the SafetyNet 1 metre off the bottom of the sea.

The entire system is powered using energy harvesting devices to further reduce the carbon footprint of the trawling process, and the £1,000 prize money will allow Daniel to begin prototyping and in-situ testing of the system.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/Phalanx1710/

June 2009 - Viviane Jaeger & Emme-Jane Parkes (SquidLondon)

As winners of one of five £1,000 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Awards in June 2009, Viviane Jaeger and Emma-Jayne Parkes (SquidLondon) are a duo product design team from the London College of Fashion, passionately inspired by innovation, smart materials and interaction between the fields of science and design.

Their first interactive product is a walking piece of art - an umbrella that interacts with rain and changes into a splendour of different colours as the rain hits the panels, and they will be using the £1,000 prize money to pay for display stands and further prototype developments.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/SquidLondon
www.squidlondon.com

May 2009 - Andrew McCalister (Ncapsulate Innovations)

As winner of one of our four Shell LiveWIRE 'Grand Ideas' Awards in May 2009, Andrew McCalister will be putting his £1,000 prize money towards the cost of a computer-simulated model to test his product.

Ncapsulate Innovations develops and licenses technology for the defence market. Currently, the company is focused on N.Capsulate, a ballistic netting that lessens the devastating effects of car bombs in both homeland security environments and foreign theatres of war. The system uses a netting technology that can be easily stored, transported and assembled. The netting provides protection for military personnel, civilians and equipment and does so without affecting visibility. It also has a one way protection feature, diminishing the effect of the shockwave and shrapnel in one direction while allowing armed personnel to fire through it, unhindered, in the opposite direction.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/Andrew McCalister
www.ncapsulateinnovations.com

May 2009 - Amanda Jones (Red Button Design)

As winner of one of our four Shell LiveWIRE 'Grand Ideas' Awards in May 2009, Amanda Jones is using the £1,000 prize money to pay for a stall holding at the inaugural Maker Faire in Ghana.

Red Button Design is an internationally award-winning start up which seeks to design, manufacture and supply products exclusively for the humanitarian market. The company’s first product is the multi-award winning “ROSS” – a 3-in-1 water transport, sanitation and storage device, designed to provide safe drinking water for users in the developing world.

Red Button Design uses innovation and creativity to offer solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, taking into account the diverse needs of the end users, the local manufacturers and the non-government organisations (NGOs) and charities, robustness for the environment, ease of local assembly, form, function and cultural acceptance.

May 2009 - Emily Dupen-Hopkins (Dupenny)

As winner of one of our four Shell LiveWIRE 'Grand Ideas' Awards in May 2009, Emily Dupen-Hopkins is using the £1,000 prize money to fund the development of her online shop.

Dupenny is a growing company specializing in bespoke hand screen-printed wallpapers and home wares, including hand-printed cushions, lamp shades and fabrics.  Dupenny designs are big and bold, with minimal repeats and a signature pallet of black and white. Dupenny is eco-friendly wherever possible, using only the best natural materials, including high-grade paper, sourced from managed forests, and water-based inks.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/dupenny
www.dupenny.com

May 2009 - Leah Bryce (Salsa Dance Events)

As winner of one of our four Shell LiveWIRE 'Grand Ideas' Awards in May 2009, Leah Bryce is using the £1,000 prize money to throw a launch party for her business and produce a viral video.

Based in Edinburgh, Salsa Dance Events (SDE) provides affordable salsa dance classes for fun or fitness for all ages and levels. SDE also offers dancing workshops, parties, events and choreography for individuals, groups, companies and gift buyers. Salsa Dance Events provides flexible, bespoke packages and aims to make sure clients have fun whilst learning to dance.

In addition to these services, SDE aims to support the Scottish Executives physical activity targets and Every Child Matters initiative by bringing salsa dancing into schools in the hopes of encouraging and inspiring young people who may not be interested in sport to engage in exercise, increase fitness levels, combat obesity and increase self-esteem.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/lbryce
www.salsadanceevents.com

April 2009 - Sarah Kelly (Saloukee)

As winner of one of our four Shell LiveWIRE 'Grand Ideas' Awards in April 2009, Sarah Kelly is using the £1,000 prize money to secure a stand at the International Art Fair in London, presented by the Crafts Council, to show her debut collection of laser-cut paper necklaces, bracelets, earrings and brooches.

‘Saloukee’ comes from the name of its owner, Sarah Louise Kelly. The beautifully bespoke products, produced by hand in the Jewellery Quarter, are targeted at a discerning clientele. Pieces are made for statement, envy and indulgence, offering its consumer alluring items, made to treasure.

For more information visit:
www.saloukee.com
www.shell-livewire.org/network/saloukee

April 2009 - Poppy Ben-David (Ben David Productions)

As winner of one of our four Shell LiveWIRE 'Grand Ideas' Awards in April 2009, Poppy Ben-David is using the £1,000 prize money to pay the PR costs for two of her shows which will be going to the Edinburgh Festival.

Ben David Productions specialises in creating outstanding theatrical entertainment using talented performers and creative artists, and presents budget productions that are high quality and audience-friendly. Its productions span the industry and include musicals, ballets, comedies, magic shows and operas.  

For more information visit:
www.bendavidproductions.co.uk
www.shell-livewire.org/network/producer pops

April 2009 - Liam Patterson & Jason Dainter (EthicalCommunity.com)

As winners of one of our four Shell LiveWIRE 'Grand Ideas' Awards in April 2009, Liam Patterson and Jason Dainter plan to use the £1,000 prize money to launch and market their website, currently in beta form.

EthicalCommunity.com is an online social network that allows consumers and sellers to connect with each other. The goals of EthicalCommunity.com are to be the first port-of-call for small suppliers of ethical products, increase environmental awareness and educate those buying the products.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/jasondainter

April 2009 - Kilian Palop & Glenn Buchan (Adspad)

As winners of one of our four Shell LiveWIRE 'Grand Ideas' Awards in April 2009, Kilian Palop and Glenn Buchan plan to use the £1,000 prize money to promote their placemat concept to other universities around Scotland.

Adspad is an innovative new concept which uses A3 paper placemats as a marketing tool for local businesses to target students while they eat. 

For more information visit:
www.adspad.co.uk
www.shell-livewire.org/network/adspad

March 2009 - Jane Burston (Carbon Retirement)

As winner of one of our 5 Shell LiveWIRE 'Grand Ideas' Awards in March 2009, Jane Burston (Carbon Retirement) uses her customers’ money to buy and cancel (or ‘retire’) allowances from the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

Each allowance is a permit for a polluting company to release one tonne of carbon dioxide.  When we retire an allowance we deplete the already stretched supply, reducing the total volume of emissions and forcing investment in low carbon technology in Europe. In overcoming the problems with traditional offsetting, we provide businesses and individuals with a robust and transparent way of offsetting their unavoidable emissions, and in doing so take the offsetting market in a whole new direction.

For more information visit:
www.carbonretirement.com
www.shell-livewire.org/network/jane_burston

March 2009 - Thomas Freeman (Sanctuary Search)

As winner of one of our 5 Shell LiveWIRE 'Grand Ideas' Awards in March 2009, Thomas Freeman is using the £1,000 prize money to capitalize on the success of his Sanctuary Newspapers company by developing a new one specialising in identifying and headhunting high-calibre students for firms recruiting graduates.

Sanctuary Search has been formed to develop a parallel approach to advertising by graduate recruiters to students, to provide a more focused service, drawing on the dedication and motivation of the 1000+ students producing the papers. It draws on the innate talent of this rich and diverse pool of proactive, interested student-staff. Each of these people then has their own network of coursemates, society affiliates and social acquaintances, on which we draw. Due to the sheer depth and breadth of ability and personality within this wide network, the search for candidates with the requisite combination of skill and character will always be fruitful.

For more information visit:
www.younoodle.com/startups/sanctuary_search
www.shell-livewire.org/network/sanctuarynewspapers

March 2009 - Mhari McMullan (Welcome Home)

As winner of one of our 5 Shell LiveWIRE 'Grand Ideas' Awards in March 2009, Mhari McMullan (Welcome Home) will be using the £1,000 prize money to develop her multi-disciplinary gallery and retail space with onsite studio space for artist in residence schemes and workshops in Glasgow.

Welcome Home will focus on making art, design and craft accessible to all and provide a much needed space for new designers to create, learn and educate. Sourcing unique and interesting work from local established and emerging artists and designers as well as bringing new talent to Scotland from elsewhere.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/mhari

March 2009 - Struan Smith (Coastal Connection)

As winner of one of our 5 Shell LiveWIRE 'Grand Ideas' Awards in March 2009, Struan Smith (Coastal Connection) will be using the £1,000 prize money to pay for landing fees to enable his high speed boat transfer/tour company to transport tourists throughout the Scottish islands & lochs.

For more information visit:
www.coastal-connection.co.uk
www.shell-livewire.org/network/struansmith@hotmail.com

March 2009 - Christopher Bushell (Bikehireuk)

As winner of one of our 5 Shell LiveWIRE 'Grand Ideas' Awards in March 2009, Christopher Bushell (Bikehireuk) will be using the £1,000 prize money to pay for his 'Recycled bike rental system' (patent pending) which allows users to hire and return a bicycle via their mobile phone.

Bikehireuk recycle old bikes from the public and hire them out across Northumberland, coastal routes, cycle routes, National Cycle Networks and traffic-free towns in the North East.

For more information visit:
www.bikehireuk.com
www.shell-livewire.org/network/cab

Feb 2009 - Luke Pulford (YQ Vending)

Following an online public vote, Luke Pulford (YQ Vending) was awarded our 5th 'Grand Ideas' Award for February 2009.

Luke will be using his £1000 prize money to help produce the first commercially viable, socially and environmentally-friendly method of selling a wide range of drinks through vending machines in licensed premises throughout the UK.

For more information visit:
www.yqvending.com
www.shell-livewire.org/network/lpulford

Feb 2009 - Kristiina Paul (Future Culture Ltd)

As one of our February 09 Shell LiveWIRE 'Grand Ideas' Awards winners, Kristiina Paul will be using the £1000 prize money to create a 'Future Culture Space' - a large clear plastic cube that will provide a public performance space for creative activities including dance, music and art that will also serve as a promotional tool for the company.

For more information visit:
www.futureculture.co.uk
www.shell-livewire.org/network/futureculture

Feb 2009 - Niall Slater (BrailleBand)

As one of our February 09 Shell LiveWIRE 'Grand Ideas' Awards winners, Niall Slater will be using his £1000 prize money to pay for the design, manufacture and sale of his new low-cost electronic braille display - 'BrailleBand' - which translates between braille and digital text.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/neeebs

Feb 2009 - James Connelly

As one of our winners of the February 09 Shell LiveWIRE 'Grand Ideas' Awards - James Connelly's business idea is to create mobile multimedia labs that use recycled computers to teach graphics, animation, video production and web design to community groups like homeless hostels.

He'll be using the £1000 prize fund to build trailers for bicycles that will turn your unwanted computers into travelling learning centres that will help people climb the ladder to independence.

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/jamesjconnelly

Feb 2009 - Daniel Sutherland

As one of our winners of the February 09 Shell LiveWIRE 'Grand Ideas' Awards - designer Daniel Sutherland will be using his £1000 prize fund to develop a prototype of a new design of baby bottle which makes the feeding process easier by speeding up the heating or cooling process of the feeding liquid.

For more information visit:
www.danielsutherland.co.uk
www.shell-livewire.org/network/ds

Jan 2009 - Luke Jefferson (Scratchface)

One of 5 winners of the January 09 Shell LiveWIRE 'Grand Ideas' Awards £1000 prizes - Scratchface develop accessibility software, called Huetility, to help colourblind people better perceive, understand and interact with colour. They plan to launch their first product on the Apple iPhone via Apple’s app store. The £1000 will allow them to hire a designer to create the graphical elements that are critical to producing a successful iPhone application.

For more information visit:
www.huetility.com
www.shell-livewire.org/network/laj

Jan 2009 - Kerri Parker (The Kerri Parker Academy)

One of 5 winners of the January 09 Shell LiveWIRE 'Grand Ideas' Awards £1000 prizes - The Kerri Parker Academy has been set up to offer advice and support for young models who are new into the industry. The £1000 will be used to hire a venue and catwalk for their 2nd annual 'Model of the Year' contest so they can re-invest any profits from ticket sales back into developing and growing the business.

For more information visit:
www.thekerriparkeracademy.com
www.shell-livewire.org/network/kerriparker

Jan 2009 - Katie Weightman (Miksani)

One of 5 winners of the January 09 Shell LiveWIRE 'Grand Ideas' Awards £1000 prizes - Miksani is a womenswear clothing brand aimed at 20-35yr old women using only eco-fibres and fabrics in production. The £1000 will be used to investigate and develop new fabrics and fibres with her manufacturer in India. In particular, Katie is interested in combining eco-fibres such as aloo (nettle), bamboo, silk, soya, tencel (wood pulp cellulose), cotton and hemp. It is also possible to combine these with cashmere wool, alpaca wool and even sea shells.

For more information visit:
www.miksani.co.uk
www.shell-livewire.org/network/kweightman

Jan 2009 - Fred Ryall (Ryall Armouries)

One of 5 winners of the January 09 Shell LiveWIRE 'Grand Ideas' Awards £1000 prizes - Ryall Armouries offers a bespoke fit service producing mediaeval armours mainly of the 15th century. Fred says he will use the £1000 to expand his equipment and increase production rate - including a large flypress for rough work and a tig welder to improve overall finish to helms, a new linisher for grinding work and a buffing rig to achieve a uniform finish over large areas of work, again to improve the final aesthetic.

For more information visit:
www.ryallarmouries.co.uk
www.shell-livewire.org/network/fredwinu

Jan 2009 - Craig Harrison (Aquaread)

One of 5 winners of the January 09 Shell LiveWIRE 'Grand Ideas' Awards £1000 prizes - Aquaread develops and manufactures a spectacular range of highly advanced analytical and process equipment for both laboratory and field use. Combining cutting edge hardware design with the very latest thinking in software, Aquaread is poised to launch an impressive new range of innovative equipment. The £1000 prize will be used to develop a prototype of the product.

For more information visit:
www.aquaread.co.uk
www.shell-livewire.org/network/craig@aquaread.co.uk