7th July 2025
The Mitie Business Boost has reached an exciting milestone, as three outstanding finalists have been awarded £10,000 each to accelerate their business growth. Cumberland Flower Farm, Executive Electric Cars Cumbria and Lakeland Life emerged as the top winners in a competitive final, demonstrating strong business strategies and a commitment to sustainability.
This year, Mitie partnered with the Industrial Solutions Hub (iSH) and OneAIM who joined forces to bring investment (£10,000 each) as well as their expertise to support the programme and the businesses that signed up.
With continued support from Sellafield Ltd. collaboration has played a crucial role in ensuring the initiative delivers real, lasting impact for West Cumbrian enterprises.
Now in its second year, the Mitie Business Boost programme is designed to empower West Cumbrian start-ups, entrepreneurs and SMEs by providing expert-led workshops, mentorship and crucial funding to drive sustainable development. This year’s final showcased the remarkable talent and ambition within the region, with six businesses competing for the investment.
The six finalists who made it to the final round were:
- Cumberland Flower Farm (Winner)
- Executive Electric Cars Cumbria (Winner)
- Lakeland Life (Winner)
- Wild Wool Barn
- Dosa Chaska
- Campion Creative
Participants benefitted from expert-led workshops and one-on-one mentorship to refine their business strategies and sustainability commitments. The workshops covered essential areas such as environmental impact, social value and financial sustainability, equipping participants with practical skills to develop strong business plans.
Finalists also received personalised coaching, business plan reviews delivered by Complete Business Advisory Solutions Ltd and Realise HR, and professional videography by Adamedia to enhance their brand presence and prepare for the final pitch.
The entire final event was hosted at the stunning grounds of Muncaster Castle. On 13th February, the finalists delivered compelling pitches to an expert judging panel: Gary McKeating, Managing Director of iSH; Gina Goulding, owner of Bakes By Gina, last year’s competition winner; Parth Metha, Director Zero Carbon Consultant, Mitie; Paul Fletcher, Group Director at Amentum and OneAIM executive board chair; and Lindsay Gray, Managing Director of Natterjack Marketing.
Each highlighted their growth strategies, sustainability commitments and how the £10,000 investment would transform their businesses. The evening concluded with a special celebration at Muncaster Castle, where the winners were officially announced and celebrated.
The Mitie Business Boost continues to be a catalyst for innovation and sustainability in West Cumbria. Through tailored support and funding, the programme is enabling businesses to scale up, create jobs and contribute positively to the local economy.
Everyone involved in the Mitie Business Boost is incredibly proud of all the participants and look forward to seeing how their businesses evolve in the coming months. Congratulations to Cumberland Flower Farm, Executive Electric Cars Cumbria, and Lakeland Life on their well-deserved success.
Paul Fletcher Group Director at Amentum and OneAIM executive board chair, said: “OneAIM were proud to be involved in the Business Boost programme for 2025. It was a privilege to be a part of the judging panel and at the same time challenging to differentiate between a diverse range of businesses.
“At OneAIM we firmly believe in not reinventing wheels and that as businesses we are stronger collectively – supporting the Business Boost was a no brainier as it aligns with our beliefs and objectives to foster a thriving, diverse and sustainable economy.’’
Gary McKeating, Managing Director of the Industrial Solutions Hub, said: “This is an exciting programme to have been involved in and I was delighted to have seen the vision, talent and ambition of each of the finalists. The iSH criteria was around business growth and each of the companies demonstrated that.
“Our congratulations go to the three Business Boost winners this year. The prize provides a truly valuable package of support which has the potential to help them to move towards the growth they are striving to achieve, resulting in a stronger, more diverse economy for the region overall.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
Finalist, Business Overview:
- Harriet Smithson, Cumberland Flower Farm – A sustainable flower farm growing seasonal, locally sourced West Cumbrian blooms for bouquets, events, and floral workshops.
- Molly Campion & Emily Birstonas, Campion Creative – Creative communications – specialising in branding, digital marketing, and bespoke visual content for businesses.
- Aaron Groggins, Lakeland Life CIC – Social enterprise dedicated to organising community events across North & West Cumbria supporting wellbeing and social inclusion through creative and outdoor experiences.
- Sachin Mishra, Dosa Chaska – A vibrant food business bringing authentic South Indian flavours to West Cumbria with freshly made Dosas and traditional dishes.
- Susan Denham-Smith, Wild Wool Barn – A remote, off-grid retreat in the Western Lake District offering unique stays and outdoor experiences surrounded by nature.
- Neil Schofield, Electric Executive Cars Cumbria – A premium, eco-friendly transport service including luxury chauffeur-driven electric vehicles based in West Cumbria.
About Mitie
Founded in 1987, Mitie’s job is to look after places where Britain works, and it is the leading facilities management and transformation company in the UK. We offer a range of services to the public sector through our Central Government & Defence and Communities (Local Government & Education, Healthcare and Care & Custody) divisions. Our Technical Services (Engineering Services) and Business Services (Security, Cleaning, Landscapes, Spain and Waste) divisions serve private sector customers in areas such as Financial & Professional Services, Industrials, Retail and Transport, and increasingly the public sector.
Mitie employs 65,000 people. We take care of our customers’ people and buildings, through the ‘Science of Service’, and we are transforming facilities to be more flexible, safe, sustainable, and attractive to all. Mitie continues to execute its technology-led strategy and in the past twelve months has received multiple awards and validation for its ambitious near and long-term science-based emissions reduction targets from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Find out more at www.mitie.com
About OneAIM
OneAIM (a joint venture between Amentum and Mitie) is responsible for delivering the multi-disciplined Integrated Asset Care Framework (IAC) with delivery partners Sellafield Ltd. Both partners are established across the Sellafield site demonstrating a shared ethos of high-quality, high-integrity delivery with an excellent safety culture, and fostering strong community links. IAC promotes a collaborative structure, supporting successful and effective delivery of work at the site, ensuring continued project and task delivery across the three work stream categories of Jobs, Tasks and Projects. More information can be found at www.one-aim.co.uk
About iSH
iSH (Industrial Solutions Hub) delivers programmes that build on West Cumbria’s nuclear heritage, expanding its technical capability, developing a regional industrial cluster and showcasing it to the world.
The iSH Enterprise Campus (iEC) at Cleator Moor, Cumbria will include a solutions hub where businesses in the region will be able to collaborate and work with other specialist companies from around the UK and the rest of the world.
iSH is supported in its activity by funding from Cleator Moor Town Deal Board which, working with Copeland Borough Council, secured £22.5 million from the Government’s £3.6 billion Towns Fund initiative in 2022.