Chester University graduates announced as finalists in Great British Entrepreneur Awards

University of Chester graduates have been named as finalists in awards championing the entrepreneurs behind brilliant British businesses.

Jessica Critchley and Tolulope Arobieke, owners of Yourgaff Lettings, and Kate Morris-Bates, owner of InsideOut Wellness, have been shortlisted in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards.

Jess and Tolu are North West finalists for Entrepreneurial Spirit and Kate is up for the title of Wales’ Health and Wellbeing Entrepreneur of the Year.

Jess and Tolu set up Chester city centre-based Yourgaff Lettings in December 2019, after graduating aged 23 and 22. Jess studied a Bachelor of Honours Degree in Business Management, and Tolu studied LLB (Legum Baccalaureus) Hons Law with Criminology at the University.

Their joint enterprise aims to bring something different to the student and professional letting industry by bridging the gap between tenants and landlords. They have been successful in helping landlords find the perfect tenants and helping students, international students and professionals find their perfect home-away-from-home.

Jess said: “Being selected as finalists means that other people see value in our business and understand what we are trying to achieve; it’s motivating that respected business professionals believe in Yourgaff.”

Tolu said: “To me, being selected as finalists means that successful business owners who don’t know us can see our vision, they believe we’re on the right track to success.”

Jess credited her time at the University as giving her “the opportunity to enhance the skills required to run a business” and Tolu said it enabled him “to understand and apply contract laws effectively for our business”.

They both added: “The award shortlisting has given us the chance to promote Yourgaff on a national level, it has started to open doors of opportunity that at this stage wouldn’t have crossed our path.”

Kate, who studied a Postgraduate Certificate in Business and Personal Coaching in 2017-18 - provided by the University in partnership with Barefoot Coaching as part of its award-winning work based learning framework for professionals - owns and runs successful wellness clinic, InsideOut Wellness, in Mold, Flintshire, on the Cheshire/Welsh border. 

She started InsideOut Wellness with a clear vision - to empower people of all ages to access a range of credible complementary therapies and alternative medicine treatments, to aid their overall wellbeing.

Kate offers a range of alternative medicine services including acupuncture, body therapy, diet and lifestyle coaching.

She is one of very few Postgraduate Degree holders of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the UK, and also has qualifications in Mindfulness Meditation for Stress, Anxiety and Pain, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy-based coaching and specialist physical and aesthetic therapies, such as Scar and Burns Remedial Therapy, and for chronic conditions such as Fibromyalgia, Polymyalgia and Chronic Fatigue.

Kate changed career to become a therapist after working as a Top-100 Exec leader earning six-figures in a FTSE-100 equivalent national company, responsible for hundreds of millions of pounds. It was one of the biggest jobs of its kind in the UK, but after personal tragedy she managed her stress and health through acupuncture, lifestyle changes, coaching and time in nature - and decided to help others in the same way.

Kate said: “I am delighted to be shortlisted for Health and Wellbeing Entrepreneur of the Year, I am amongst great company and it is inspiring to see how the wellness industry is raising the bar in how it is helping people take personal responsibility for their health and wellbeing in so many different ways.

“There is no one-size-fits-all solution for individual health and wellbeing and I am passionate about bringing evidence-based alternative medicine into the mainstream. 

Being shortlisted is a morale and confidence boost, and very well-received after a very challenging year for small businesses like mine.”

On achieving her Postgraduate Certificate through the University, she added: “Having such a credible qualification in a sector which is unregulated has enabled me to position my offer within the corporate sector with gravitas.”

Now in its ninth year, the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, in partnership with Starling Bank, acknowledge the hard work and inspiring stories of entrepreneurs and businesses in the UK. Central to its ethos is being more than just ‘an awards ceremony’ - also aiming to offer a sense of community, and a thriving system of support all year round.

The Regional Finals will take place in September, and the winners will go on to the National Final in November, with one being awarded this year’s Great British Entrepreneur of the Year title.

For more information about Jess, Tolu and Yourgaff, please visit:

https://www.yourgafflettings.com/.

To learn more about Kate and InsideOut Wellness, please go to:

https://katemorrisbates.com/.

Further details on the Awards are also available at:

https://www.greatbritishentrepreneurawards.com/.

Pictured - Great British Entrepreneur Awards finalists:

• Jessica Critchley and Tolulope Arobieke, owners of Yourgaff Lettings.