Two Essex-based businesswomen have launched a superb, part-funded training programme to help young women get Fit for Life and Fit for Business.

Emma Goode, founder and director of social media company 24 fingers Ltd., tells the story of how this amazing project has been launched on the back of a ‘eureka’ moment she had back in April; and how the project will provide the first cohort of 16 to 21-year-old young women who commit to starting the online course in September amazing skills to ensure they are fit and healthy AND with the skills to start their own business.

With student stress levels higher than ever, this is a wonderful opportunity for young women.

There are still places available if you know someone who may be interested….!

This is Emma’s story:

It’s very often when times appear at their darkest that inspiration strikes. After all, “out of adversity comes opportunity”, said Benjamin Franklin. He was quite the clever bloke, and I’m happy to 100% agree with him.

Cast your mind back to around Easter time, when the future for Year 13s looked screwed, thanks to Covid-19. Apprenticeships were paused, work experience was cancelled, careers were put on hold.

A twist of fate robbed these youngsters of some golden opportunities, while all around them, adults were being furloughed or made redundant. But if coronavirus has taught anything, it’s that we really don’t know what’s around the corner.

Perhaps now was the moment to create something of our own, become master and mistress of our own destinies? So, while soaking in the bath, I started to think – what could I do to help?

For the past year, Kathy Ennis and I had been delivering business and social media training for adults… What about offering those same courses to school leavers and those who were a little older? What about offering a leg-up to girls, who don’t always have the easiest of paths in business…

The courses would keep them motivated until they had a better idea of what they wanted to do in life, or could even give them the confidence to embrace their entrepreneurial sides and launch their own start-up.

Reader, it was my “eureka!” moment.

I leapt out of the bath, phoned Kathy and told her we were going to launch an online training college. Thankfully she agreed and we began calling around our fantastic network of local experts, one of whom was Ollie Berquez of BlitzFitMe and 4DFit.

Ollie liked the idea too. In fact, he liked it so much, he believed we could get funding. A fortnight later, we did (who says you have to wait years for amazing things to happen?).

Backed by Sport England who is funding 75% of the cost of the programme, BlitzFitMe and 24 Degrees have launched Fit for Business, taking 24 young women through a training programme covering nutrition, fitness, business planning and social media – getting them in the best physical and mental shape to become their own boss.

It’s aimed at 16 to 21-year-olds who feel university or academic life perhaps isn’t for them, and would rather focus on becoming the next Deborah Meaden or Nisha Katona. This first session is for young women living in Essex but, hopefully, the scheme will be extended to cover nationwide soon.

I can’t tell you how excited I am to be doing this. Fit for Business is going to provide all the skills I wished I’d known before setting up for myself – and if me, Kathy and Ollie can help just ONE girl realise her potential, then our work here is done.

Want to be THAT girl? Then e-mail emma@24degrees.org to register or book your place here. Or to let Emma know you might be interested in future programmes…