Blind Flintshire entrepreneur scoops Sir John Moores award
A BUDDING entrepreneur, who is registered blind, has scooped a regional award.
Adam Flavell, 17, from Bagillt is celebrating success after picking up the Sir John Moores Award at the Young Enterprise North West Final at Aintree Racecourse earlier this month.
Adam worked alongside fellow students from St. Vincent’s School for the Blind and Partially Sighted in Liverpool in creating a revolutionary new business, called VIP.
The company’s slogan, ‘Visually Impaired Products for Very Important People’, saw the young entrepreneurs produce menus for restaurants and cafes in Braille and large print.
Adam quickly became the driving force of the business and set up a website to promote its services.
Adam, who suffers from severe learning difficulties and has a severe speech impediment, was nominated for the award in recognition of the ‘excellent entrepreneurial skills’ that he displayed while taking part in the Young Enterprise Team Programme.
Adam also impressed business banking specialist Peter Johnson, who has invited the young Flintshire entrepreneurs and his fellow VIP directors to a finance meeting at HSBC in Old Swan, to talk about getting VIP off the ground.
The victory has come as part of a remarkable run of success for Adam, who also won the Liverpool Achiever of the Year Award in April 2008.
Teresa Maloney, programme manager for Young Enterprise, which is the UK’s largest business and enterprise education charity, said: “Adam was reluctant to take part in Team Programme at first but soon showed excellent leadership skills.
“His innovative approach and friendly manner made him the prime choice for this prestigious award.
“With customers from the private and public sectors, VIP is going from strength to strength and with the support of link teacher Heather Douglas and volunteer business adviser Helen Thomas from United Utilities, the directors have ambitious plans to develop their unique company.”
Adam’s father, Stephen Totty, 51, said: “I am so pleased he won an award. He is very dedicated and determined and he has never let his disability hold him back.
“I am very proud of what he has achieved and it was great to see him up there on the night dressed to the nines.”