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City College alumni Deborah Meaden wins 'Gold Award'
18 June 2010
BBC 'dragon' and astute businesswoman Deborah Meaden has recently been honoured at the House of Commons where the Association of Colleges (AoC) held their Gold Awards ceremony. The AoC Charitable Trust presents the Gold Awards to a select number of former College students each year in recognition of the vital role further education plays in the careers of the winners and of their continuing achievements in their chosen careers. Other winners this year included BAFTA-winning actor Colin Firth, police superintendent Leroy Logan MBE, and film-maker and adventurer Emma Brumpton. Sadly, Deborah was out of the country and the award was collected on her behalf by her sister, Cass Stainton.
Deborah was nominated by City College Brighton and Hove as an inspiration to business students throughout the country following her success, both as a businesswoman and as a high-profile media personality, after her time in further education. Deborah studied business at City College in 1976-77. After a visit in 2008, she said that the experiences and the knowledge she had gained during her course has stayed with her throughout her career. She said: 'When someone is interested in a career in business, I think it's important to learn some of the fundamentals and that's exactly what I got from studying at City College. When I visited the College recently a lot of memories came flooding back and it really brought home to me what a formative experience it was to be a business student there and how some of the solid knowledge I gained has stayed with me through the years.'
Deborah Meaden and her 'mini me' Zara Sharp
Deborah started her business career with very little capital, launching her own glass and ceramics import company straight out of College. She then set up one of the first Stefanel fashion franchises in the UK. With several successful businesses in the leisure and retail sector under her belt, she became Managing Director of her family's holiday park business Weststar Holidays. She acquired the major shareholding in a management buy-out and later sold the company in a deal worth £33million. She sold her remaining 23% stake in August 2007. She actively supports environmental charities and initiatives, becoming an Ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund, the world's leading environmental organisation, in 2009. She is also Chair of Childline's 'Child's Voice Appeal South West' and sits on the board of Roundhouse, the north London arts centre which hosts world-class performances and provides creative projects for up to six thousand 13 to 25-year-olds from all backgrounds. Deborah joined the panel of investors for series three of the BBC2 programme 'Dragons' Den' and has since invested in a number of businesses, both in the South West of England, where she lives, and across the UK.
To highlight the important role further education plays for students today, the AoC Charitable Trust runs a 'mini me' campaign alongside the Gold Awards with the nominating colleges each selecting a current student who shows promise in a similar field to their Gold Award winner. Current student Zara Sharp, 19, from Brighton, is studying the BTEC National Award Business course. She hopes to go on to university and, in the long term, pursue a successful career in business. Zara will be meeting Deborah personally in London this year for a chance to quiz her on how she achieved success and the role that further education played in her career. Zara attended the awards with her mother Kate and they were both thrilled to meet and be photographed with Colin Firth.
City College Principal Phil Frier, said: 'Further education genuinely has the power to transform people's lives and these awards serve a great purpose in highlighting that some of the UK's most successful and inspirational people began to thrive because of the opportunities that their local college offered them. We're particularly delighted that Zara will now have the opportunity to spend time with Deborah and benefit from her wisdom!'
For press information, please call Brian Bell, Marketing Communications Officer, on 01273 667788 Ext. 488 or email bb1@ccb.ac.uk website www.ccb.ac.uk
About City College Brighton and Hove: Situated in the heart of Brighton, City College Brighton and Hove has become an international centre of vocational excellence. Every year 2,000 full-time, 10,000 part time, over 500 Higher Education and 250 14-16 year old students as well as many international and European students choose City College as their place of further and higher education training. In addition, the College provides training to over 2,000 businesses via its 'City Business Skills' department which focuses on employer training needs. Offering over 700 courses from basic level right through to business and postgraduate training, City College is working with its partners to develop the workforce of the future.
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