Growth Partner was set up in 2015 by Richard as a way to invest in some of the UK’s most talented entrepreneurs – to inspire and nurture the most ambitious entrepreneurs and help them to scale their businesses.

Richard invests his own money and Growth Partner works with the fastest growing and most ambitious consumer challenger brands in the UK, helping and inspiring them to think bigger and exceed their own expectations.

Richard founded The Enterprise Trust in 2011, keen to find a way to help other would-be entrepreneurs.

It’s an independent nationwide charity that aims to inspire young people to consider entrepreneurship as a career. It does this by offering free workshops to equip 16-30 year olds with the enterprise skills needed to start a business.

As part of its mission, the Enterprise Trust is investing in young talent on many levels, with a view to creating 25,000 skills-based apprenticeships and to inject £1million a year over eight years into youth enterprise support (up to 2025) with a target to generate a £1billion contribution to the UK economy.

The charity is run by Helen Booth and aims to create an impact, leaving a legacy by helping individuals realise their potential as independent wealth generators.

Jason Coleman, founder and property entrepreneur, approached Growth Partner in 2014.

He knows the city of Hull very well, and has bought, developed, let and sold property there for almost 30 years.

When the opportunity arose to acquire a landmark building in the city for residential living, it was something we were happy to support him in achieving.

Together with Growth Partner, this first development was completed in November 2017, and the second and third projects are well underway.

In 2013, amidst concern that the ‘local’ would close, like so many across the country, Richard and his wife, Kate, bought their village pub.

In the small village where they live, there is no shop or village hall, and community amenities are limited.

Saving the pub and helping it to become a properly sustainable business has been the ambition, safeguarding it for future generations.

In partnership with John and Claire Topham, and with investment ongoing, The Alice has become a popular little country pub, winning Yorkshire Life’s Dining Pub of the Year in 2017. There are now 12 lovely rooms attracting guests from all over the UK, with many US visitors wanting to stay in an unspoilt English country cottage.