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The Helen Barrett Bright Idea Awards are back for 2022
When Sophie’s beloved dog Blackjack was injured by a pet groomer, she decided to bite the bullet and learn how to do it herself instead. “It turned out I was really good at it, and I really loved it,” says Sophie, who was diagnosed with CF at birth.
Sophie, 30, from Doncaster, was inspired to set up her own pet grooming business but needed some extra support to get it off the ground. “I wanted to take my business to the next level but I needed somewhere to get it set up and to purchase new equipment,” she explains.
A CF social worker at her local hospital told Sophie about the Helen Barrett Bright Idea Awards. The awards were set up in memory of Helen Barrett, a successful entrepreneur who, together with her partner, set up a gym that is still thriving today. The awards are open to people with CF over the age of 18 and winners can receive a grant of up to £5000 to boost their business idea, as well as access to expert support and guidance.
A bright idea
Sophie applied and, much to her surprise, got the call to say she was one of our winners. “I asked them if they were joking! It was amazing. I really didn’t think I’d win.”
Since winning the award, Sophie has used the money to build a brand new grooming salon in the garden, as well as purchase new equipment so she can offer luxury doggy day spa treatments for customers who want to pamper their pets. “The business is growing steadily and I’ve found a lot of new clients are finding me through word of mouth,” Sophie says.
Doing what I love
Sophie has also recently taken a course in health and welfare, so can now groom dogs with health problems, and is also training to become a qualified canine nutritionist and looking at doing a course in microchipping.
None of this would have been possible without the awards, she says. “I am so thankful for the opportunity I have been given to do what I love. It is literally a dream come true.”
A passion for film
Jonathan, 38, from Cardiff, is another 2021 award winner. Diagnosed with CF at 17, he’s also had to deal with two cases of lymphoma. “It’s made my CF a lot more difficult to handle over the years but I’m now 10 years cancer free and finally in a pretty good place in my life,” Jonathan says.
One of the things that helped Jonathan deal with his ill health was a love of film. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved nothing more than to lose myself in a story, to escape the pain around me and forget about the realities of my existence,” he explains.
This passion led him to writing, and Jonathan wrote his first film, She’s Ok, in 2019, which was produced and broadcast on BBC Two Wales.
He applied for the Helen Barrett Bright Idea Awards to help him with his second film, which is loosely based on his own experiences with CF. “It’s called The Swan with the Broken Lungs and is a story I wrote many years ago. It’s a story I have wanted to tell for quite a while now. So many people still have no idea what CF even is and there are very few films that cover the subject.”
Finding out he’d won was an “incredible feeling,” Jonathan says. “As a twist of fate, I was actually in the hospital when I received the call, and it was wonderful to be able to share it with the team there.”
A dream come true
Jonathan has put the money he was awarded towards production costs and filmed over three days in May. “Apart from a few snags it was a total success,” says Jonathan. “The plan at the moment is to try and get the film edited by the September/October time, then get it sent off to festivals. We are also hoping to hold a premiere towards the end of the year.”
It’s a dream come true for Jonathan, and he is excited to see what happens next. “Regardless of what happens with this project, I am so incredibly grateful to the Helen Barrett Awards for giving me a chance to do what I love.”
To follow in Jonathan and Sophie’s footsteps and make your own lightbulb moment a reality, apply for the Helen Barrett Bright Idea Awards today! The awards close on 9 September, you can find out more about how to apply and read more stories from previous winners here.
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