Cranfield establishes Evergreen Fund to support growing businesses

The newly launched Evergreen Fund which has been established through the generosity of past participants of Cranfield’s Business Growth and Development Programme (BGP), will enable aspiring entrepreneurs, who might not otherwise be able, to participate in the Cranfield BGP in order to grow and develop their businesses.

A donation from serial entrepreneurs Paul Tombs, who attended the Cranfield BGP in 2006, and his business partner Dominic McGuinness has initiated the Evergreen fund.  Paul commented:  “The BGP has been so vital to the development and success of our businesses over the last decade, that we felt inspired to give other growing business the opportunity to participate in the UK’s most successful programme for the development of owner-managers.”

Few entrepreneurs have the range of leadership skills and the flexibility needed to successfully lead a business through growth to maturity. Designed specifically for the development of owner-managers, Cranfield’s Business Growth Programme helps ambitious owners create the future they want for their business. The programme enables them to step back from the day-to-day demands of running a business and develop a robust strategy and plan for the future.

Another member of the BGP community, Jon Thornes, founder of Cool Milk at School, which supplies milk to thousands of schoolchildren around the world, has also generously contributed as a founder donor to the Evergreen Fund.

“We are absolutely delighted by these acts of generous support,” says David Molian, Director of the Business Growth & Development Programme. “The Evergreen Fund will enable us to offer support to deserving businesses that will benefit significantly from participating in the programme. Through growing and improving their businesses, recipients of the fund will be able to become donors themselves in turn. It’s a great model which has sustainability built into it, and we thank those who are helping us to launch the Fund for their vision and commitment to our work.”

For further details of the Evergreen Fund please contact d.molian@cranfield.ac.uk

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Notes to editors

Cranfield’s Business Growth and Development Programme (BGP) is the UK’s longest running and most successful programme for the development of owner-managers. It has been running with great success for more than 23 years and has helped over 1,250 owner managers achieve their business and personal ambitions.

Cranfield School of Management is one of Europe’s leading university management schools renowned for its strong links with industry and business.  It is committed to providing practical management solutions through a range of activities including postgraduate degree programmes, management development, research and consultancy.   www.som.cranfield.ac.uk

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: The Media Relations Office, Cranfield School of Management on: T: +44 (0) 1234 754425 or E: sommediarelations@cranfield.ac.uk