Pioneers in Parliament - Control Shift
- By Zoe Jackson -
- Jan 26, 2012
Here's a guest blog on the much talked about Youth Investment Fund...
Virgin Media Pioneers recently approached me to take part in their Control Shift Campaign, along with fellow Pioneers Ronke Ige and Abdul Khan. It’s been such an honour (and so much fun!) to be involved in the creation of the Control Shift report, I’m so proud that some of my ideas have been included alongside those of other community members and experts in the field.
The culmination of all the hard work was a trip to Westminster with Sir Richard to lobby MPs about the Youth Investment Fund.
We came up with a proposal for the Youth Investment Fund, which would give young people the opportunity to apply for small scale business loans, in much the same way as they apply for large student loans.
During the Control Shift campaign, I’ve been honoured to represent Virgin Media Pioneers. I’ve been to places and met people I would never have imagined possible:
• I went to the MADE Festival and got to sit on a platform with Vince Cable, Secretary of State and made the audience laugh (at his expense, I’m afraid).
• I was given the unique opportunity to receive mentoring from Masala Masala founder Priya Lakhani. It’s been so refreshing to have a new perspective on my business from such a successful entrepreneur.
• I was invited to speak at the launch of Sir Richard Branson’s book, Screw Business as Usual and the Control Shift report. Meeting one of my all-time heroes was brilliant, made even better by him asking me for my autograph in the Control Shift report.
• The very next day, Virgin Media Pioneers sponsored a table to support me in the Woman of the Future Awards Ceremony and I was honoured to win the award for Arts, Media and Culture.
• In the past month I’ve appeared on television twice, promoting the Youth Investment Fund and Virgin Media Pioneers. I think I might have upset the BBC a little bit by mentioning Virgin a few more times than I should have.
• I met David Cameron and got to ask him a question about the Youth Investment Fund which was featured on the BBC news.
• Virgin Books have approached me to ask me to write about my journey starting my business at the age of 16 – the working title at the moment is #Blondentrepreneur.
The Youth Investment Fund is a fantastic idea that I really believe in, but we need people to get behind it if it’s going to happen. So have your say here.
By Zoe Jackson. Tweets at @ZoeJacksonLTD
This guest blog complies to Virgin.com terms & conditions.
