SME in Brief: Fruit company ensures office workers get daily vitamin boost; Children’s charity rides on thanks to social entrepreneurs and more

A FRUIT delivery service is ensuring office workers in Leeds are getting at least one of their five a day.

Fruitbox, which delivers specially picked boxes of fresh fruit direct to offices across the city centre, is the brainchild of Leeds Met graduate Jonathan Russell.

He came up with the idea while working in sales and marketing when he frequently brought fruit into the office for his colleagues from one of the city centre supermarkets.

In December 2008 Mr Russell met with the Princes Trust to apply for financial help and in April last year was awarded a start-up loan and grant. He was then referred to Lee Wood, one of the enterprise ambassadors at Sharing the Success.

Mr Wood offered advice on how to get his business idea off the ground and introduced him to the West Leeds Enterprise Centre, which offers business space and facilities for those looking to launch new ventures.

Since its launch last April The Fruit Box has secured repeat business with firms including PricewaterhouseCoopers, GHD and Sky.

All the fruit is handpicked from The Yorkshire Produce Centre and presented in a wooden box.

Mr Russell said: “I always wanted to run my own business but when I finished university I thought I should get some experience first. However, having studied business and marketing I had a good background and once I’d spoken with the mentors at the Sharing the Success programme it gave me the confidence to take the plunge and launch the company.

“Having access to the Enterprise Centre was fantastic, especially in the early stages. I could use the phones and computers, I attended several networking events and met with people like myself who had also recently launched their own start-up. It was great to get some reassurance by hearing first-hand the successes they were having.”

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A WEBSITE that raises money for charity through children’s birthday parties has named The Elisabeth Svendsen Trust for Children and Donkeys (EST) as its final charity cause.

Launched last year by Leeds-based social entrepreneurs Deirdre Bounds and Carl Hopkins, PartiesAroundtheWorld.co.uk has linked up with EST, a charity that provides children with special needs and disabilities riding therapy with donkeys.

PAW hopes to raise funds for the trust through its website which allows guests at children’s birthday parties to make donations towards a charity or cause instead of buying material gifts.

Parties Around the World aims to take the stress and hassle out of organising a child’s birthday party by offering personalised and automated invitations, RSVP’s and thank you cards in addition to the online gift-giving facility.

Up to 115% of the gift total from guests’ donations will contribute towards the upkeep of the donkeys, maintenance of the centres and providing donkey-riding for the children.

A total of 12 ‘child-friendly’ causes are represented on the PAW website ranging from the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust to Born Free.

The brainchild of successful entrepreneur Deirdre Bounds, who in 2007 sold her ethical travel company i-to-i.com in a multi-million pound deal, PAW hopes to revolutionise children’s birthday parties and become the alternative gift-giving choice for parents.

She said: “I always aimed to have a balance of causes on PAW; child focused issues, conservation initiatives and animal welfare projects, so when we confirmed our final charity partner as EST, which uniquely benefits children with special needs, I could not have been happier.

“The families that the trust supports, the children it helps and the unique way in which it works with the children is just amazing. I hope PAW raises lots of money for this fantastic charity.”

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AN ASBESTOS consultancy has expanded into Doncaster after securing new contracts.

Goole-based Global Environmental, which specialises in asbestos surveying, removal and reinstatements, has taken on premises to accommodate its growing plant and equipment at Doncaster’s Wright Business Park.

Managing director Wayne Stead said: “Thanks to a number of recent contract wins we are in a position to take on new premises. The Wright Business Park was particularly attractive to us as we also needed space for our equipment. The business park also offers great network links.

“We are looking to build the business in the South Yorkshire region throughout 2010 and are keen to maximise on opportunities to work in partnership with local companies on the new Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. Any contract wins in this area will see us employing local people to deliver the work and we are strong believers in the buy local scheme.”

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AN East Riding garden centre that secured £750,000 of investment has won an award for its Christmas display.

The Spring Garden Centre at Sigglesthorne won the Greatest Christmas Award scheme’s Eastern Region Silver award .

Spring Garden Centre has so far benefited from £750,000 from the Woodthorpe Hall Group, which acquired the centre last year.

The cash boost has helped expand the centre’s gift department which now carries £200,000 worth of additional stock. Around £300,000 has been used for the plant area and a further £250,000 has been spent on a refurbishment programme including new equipment and facilities in the restaurant.

Spring has already recruited 20 staff to cope with a doubling of business since the investment.

Spring Garden Centre general manager Dan Hind said: “This is tremendous news for us and it highlights just how far we have come since being acquired last year by the Woodthorpe Hall Group.

“Thanks to the investment made by the group we were able to mount our biggest ever Christmas display. It’s particularly pleasing that it was our customers who made this award possible because the judging was all based on their votes.”