Competition helps kick-start PE teacher’s business

A PE teacher has won the backing of a Yorkshire accountancy firm after entering a competition which offered a year’s worth of free business advice to to help kick start businesses.

Matt Hodkinson is setting up a business to provide enhanced sports initiatives to schools.

Mr Hodkinson, who worked as a PE teacher at Earlsheaton Technology College in Dewsbury for 13 years, was also part of the Government’s School Sport Partnership programme which offered further training to teachers and forged links with local sport clubs and teams in order to increase participation and fitness levels for children aged five to 18.

He has won backing from Clough & Company after he entered its competition.

Steven Gash, practice chairman of Clough & Company, said: “We ran the competition as we wanted to encourage local entrepreneurs to take the plunge and start their own business.

“The prize of a year’s worth of partner-lead financial and business advice meant that we had a phenomenal response, but Matt Hodkinson’s idea to provide enhanced sports initiatives to schools ticked all the boxes.”

Mr Hodkinson said: “I am responsible for a family of schools in the St John Fisher Partnership which includes seven high schools and 42 primary schools in the Dewsbury and Batley areas of Yorkshire.

“Unfortunately, following the recent government spending review funding for the partnerships has been cut, but I want to continue the work of the Partnership as a New Enterprise – SportUnity.”

SportUnity will provide all children, regardless of social background, access to sports and physical activity.

Clough & Company will support Sport Unity by providing a year’s worth of free business advice, which will cover all aspects of running an SME.

Shafiq Khan, who leads Clough’s 121 Business Centre, said: “We ran the competition to encourage local entrepreneurs to buck the trend of the recession. SportUnity has the potential to grow into a thriving business, with an ethical focus that gives something back to the communities that invest in it and Clough & Company is proud to be a part of SportUnity’s development.”