Brenda McLeish OBE DL, CEO of national training provider, Learning Curve Group (LCG), was presented the Societal Impact award at the National EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards last week.
The award recognises an individual’s outstanding contribution to society through positive impact based on their entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth, and impact.
The event follows the LCG CEO’s success in September where she was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year for the North which secured her place in the national standings.
Since becoming CEO in 2015, Brenda has been instrumental in the significant growth of training provider, LCG, taking the business from 200 employees to over 1000 and a turnover of £1m to over £60m. Her dedication and determination to promote positive change for the education industry has been crucial to the success of LCG, and its impact on over 200,000 lives each year.
LCG, headquartered in the North East, is one of the country’s largest and most diverse training providers, winning multiple awards for transforming the lives of individuals across the country through various innovative training programmes such as apprenticeships, online courses and academies specialising in military preparation, fitness, construction, and hair and beauty.
Placing education, training, and upskilling at the centre of everything they do, LCG strive to fulfil their vision of transforming lives through learning. The company provides effective and relevant delivery of learning opportunities, with the goal of upskilling both professionals and disadvantaged communities by enhancing their employability to reduce the unemployment figures within society.
The awards recognise individuals who identify opportunities to innovate and create a better world and take risks to realise their vision alongside those who drive strategies for a sustainable future business and positive financial performance. Brenda was also recognised for committing herself and LCG to an inspiring purpose and vision, investing in attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse mix of talent, and positively impacting the communities she serves.
This win follows a fantastic year for LCG, having been awarded Learning Provider of the Year at the Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards whilst Brenda herself was presented with an OBE, appointed Deputy Lord Lieutenant of County Durham and recognised as Businesswoman of the Year by Education Investor.
Recently, LCG were also recognised for the outstanding community they have built within the company at the Investor in People awards, having been presented the Best Purpose Driven People Community award. They were acknowledged for the amazing workplace culture their Purple People, the name coined for the workforce of LCG, have created and the collective passion for community development.
Brenda McLeish OBE DL has said, “I am beyond delighted to have been awarded the Societal Impact award at the National EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. After a fantastic year of award wins, this one truly means so much to me and to everybody at LCG as we work so hard everyday to fulfil our mission of transforming lives through learning. It is so rewarding to be recognised for the positive impact we have had on society, and it truly represents everything we strive to achieve.
It was a privilege to be there representing the hard work of our Purple People, and I cannot thank the fantastic team at LCG enough. To have such a dedicated and passionate team who truly believe in, and endeavour to achieve, a shared vision is an honour. We strive to provide the highest quality education and opportunities to gain new skills to people across the country so they can fulfil their potential. We will continue doing all we can to grow bigger and stronger so we can expand the positive impacts we have on society.”
In 2020, Brenda set out a five-year strategic plan for LCG to more than double in size – in terms of turnover, employees, and learners, and they are certainly on track to fulfil this mission.
