A South Tyneside entrepreneur who started his first business after receiving help from The Prince’s Trust has donated £10,000 back to the charity.
Chris Quickfall started tech company Invate, an assistive technology equipment and training provider, back in 2006 after selling his PlayStation to raise the funds.
However, even after selling his possessions to launch the firm, Mr Quickfall found he could still not get enough money together to buy his first order of stock.
He said: “When I wanted to start Invate, I didn’t have any money because I was a penniless graduate, so I sold my PlayStation on eBay for about £150, which gave me the start-up capital to register a business.
“However, I couldn’t get the money to facilitate the first purchases of stock to sell because I couldn’t get any credit. The regional development agencies wouldn’t support me, but the Prince’s Trust gave me a grant of £500 and a loan of £2,500.
“With the support of The Prince’s Trust, I then reapproached the organisations that knocked my idea back for previous loans and asked why they weren’t prepared to support me when The Prince’s Trust was. Once I had the Prince’s Trust name behind us, I got another £10,000 from one of the regional development agencies.
“It was through the Prince’s Trust that I could demonstrate confidence to third parties. I think it’s almost that nobody wants to be the first person to sign off on somebody and because of that I couldn’t raise the money I needed to start a business. But The Prince’s Trust took the risk of going first, and others followed.”
The seed funding from The Prince Trust helped launch Mr Quickfall’s career and helped him bringing in £260,000 in Hebburn-based Invate’s first year.
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Mr Quickfall has since launched three more companies and is currently CEO of Cognassist, a tech platform that helps teachers understand how to help students learn more effectively.
He is now donating £10,000 to The Prince’s Trust as part of The Big Give Christmas Challenge. The scheme is run throughout December by match funding platform The Big Give and sees the organisation double every donation made. By using the scheme, Chris has guaranteed £20,000 for The Prince’s Trust’s Young People Relief Fund.
He added: “Giving back to The Prince’s Trust feels like closing that loop, which they kicked off. It’s a great feeling to give to the organisation that gave so much to me. It’s always been a charity I feel closely aligns to what I do now across my companies, putting young people into education and employment – or their own businesses like me. It’s something I want to pass on, to help other young people like me to get the start they need, the right start.”
Clare Crabb, director for the North of England at The Prince’s Trust said: “Seeing how our support helped Chris Quickfall transform his idea into a successful business is immensely rewarding, particularly given that his latest enterprise Cognassist supports neurodivergent learners.
At The Prince’s Trust, we’re passionate about breaking down barriers to education and employment, and it is inspiring to see an alumnus not only drive this commitment in his own work, but also choose to give back and support the Trust’s mission.
“The harsh reality is that young people in the North East are facing disruptions to their futures on a greater scale than in living memory. That’s why we’re thrilled to receive this generous donation from Chris for our Young People Relief Fund.
“The Prince’s Trust helps young people build their confidence and skills and access jobs, education and training – and of course, will empower the entrepreneurs of the future, the same way it did for Chris 14 years ago.”