A Rotherham man, who overcame adversity to launch an online business, has won his way through to the finals of the Barclays Trading Places Awards.
Two years after losing his job and six months after receiving his third pace maker, Patrick Gillespie, 56, was finding it incredibly hard getting an interview, let alone full or part-time employment.
After getting advice from the Job Centre, and t
he Rotherham and Sheffield Enterprise Agencies, Patrick realised self employment was a real possibility.
A grant from the National Federation of Enterprise Agencies made his new dream of being his own boss possible and he launched www.adoptajellybaby.com, an interactive, child-friendly website offering online novelty products.
He is now adding free downloads of illustrated short stories and has other plans for the future.
Barclays Marketing Director for Local Business, John Davis, a judge on the panel, said: "Trading Places is a celebration of inspiring people who have struggled through adversity to get their businesses up and running – even during these turbulent times.
"The calibre of this year's entries is outstanding and we hope that with this recognition, adoptajellybaby.com will continue on the road to success.
"We also hope Patrick's story will inspire other budding entrepreneurs in Rotherham, who face similar difficulties in there private lives, to come forward and turn their own business dreams into reality."
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