Author and Contributors - PR_on_a

Alpkit is a multi-award winning direct-to-consumer brand making performance gear for the multi-sport mountain enthusiast. The company has been trading online since 2004 and now employs over 100 people with 8 stores in the UK.

Relatively rare in the industry, Alpkit is a fast growing e-commerce business that is growing profitably without taking on external equity investment.

David lives in the Peak District, and is a typical outdoor fan doing most things with more enthusiasm than ability.

Nadine Cooper

Entrepreneur Contributor

Founder of Tuneless Choirs

When told at school to have a career doing something that she was good at AND enjoyed, Nadine’s first thought was “singing badly”.

Dismissing that, she gained a degree in Engineering and Psychology, and worked in many fields including strategy and business planning, before realising the value of instinct.

As well as singing like no one is listening, Nadine enjoys walking her dogs around the North York Moors, where she and her husband John recently relocated.

Alex & Anthony Preston

Entrepreneur Contributors

Alex and Anthony Preston are a husband and wife team and owners of award winning food and drink establishment The Bottle Top.

They help customers shop in a way that supports their local community and the environment in one.

With a range of locally produced craft beers, ciders and spirits they are passionate about supporting small businesses as well as helping others make eco friendly choices with a range of plastic-free goods from their zero waste store.

Martin Rigley MBE

Entrepreneur Contributor

Like the previous six generations of his family Martin began his career in coal mining.

Starting as an apprentice and rising through the ranks to Electrical Engineer.

After 14 years in mining Martin left to join the family business, Lindhurst Engineering in 1996, as Technical Director. Becoming Managing Director is 1999.

With a strong passion for innovation and a reputation for taking on challenging projects Martin was awarded an MBE in 2016 for services to Innovation & Business.

Cheryl Stretton & Rory Thorpe

Entrepreneur Contributors

When Cheryl and Rory met on their first date they sat chatting over gin cocktails.

They could never have envisaged where that mutual appreciation of this iconic spirit would take them just a few years later.

Tinkering with steeping a few locally sourced botanicals soon progressed to a little 5 litre copper still in their kitchen.

Now they develop their range of gins close to their Nottinghamshire home with the help of their beautiful still, ‘Marion’.

Dan Baker

Topic Contributor

Dan Baker presented live news bulletins and current affairs programmes on ITV in the Midlands for 10 years.

He then became an award winning corporate communicator, when he was Head of Media for a major utility.

He set up PLC Media in 2013, providing crisis PR support and media training to a wide range of clients.

He lives in France with his husband Peter and their twins Arthur and Elodie.

Jack Delaney

Topic Contributor

Jack wants to make as many magical films for as many nice people as he can, until he can’t any more. ‍

He’s fascinated by ideas: where they come from, how they evolve and how they become real. ‍

Jack has worked with a BAFTA-winning actress to help the NHS communicate better, brought mindfulness meditation to the noise of Download Festival, strapped a camera to a ball for a rugby game and worked with the young poet Laureate to promote a secret library.

Ladey Adey

Topic Contributor

Ladey Adey is an Author currently working on her tenth book.

She heads up a family-run publishing house: Ladey Adey Publications. This includes an Author Mentoring Programme and support to authors to make their book dream come true.

They specialise in non-fiction and children’s books.

Ladey says; “I’ve loved books since childhood, and I feel blessed to work with authors and writers.” She's constantly asking the question; "is there a book in You?"

Maisha Frost

Journalist Contributor

Maisha Frost is business and consumer correspondent for the Daily and Sunday Express, in print and online.

As well as mainstream news and consumer investigations, she also offers media training, works for Unicef and covers human rights, developing world and environmental and conservation issues.

Tom Witherow

Journalist Contributor

Tom Witherow is the business correspondent of the Daily Mail and writes on consumer, retail, hospitality, travel, and gambling.

He runs the newspaper's campaigns to tighten Britain's gambling laws and win justice for 2,500 victims of the Post Office IT Scandal.

Tom was a runner-up in the business category of the 2020 British Journalism Awards, and in any spare time enjoys running, hiking and afternoons in the pub.

Richard Tyler

Journalist Contributor

Richard is editor of The Times Small Business Network, which provides daily insight, news and advice for business leaders and entrepreneurs.

He joined in April 2021, having previously spent nine years as director of editorial at Fast Track, known for its league table rankings of Britain’s top-performing private companies, published with The Sunday Times.

Before that he was enterprise editor of The Daily and Sunday Telegraph for nine years, covering private companies and government policy towards business.