Andrea Campbell has a passion for empowering vulnerable people. The organisations she founded over the last 15 years have helped children with special educational needs, individuals with learning difficulties, people who are out of work and seeking employment as well as families and guardians of disabled children. She is an inspiration to women facing life challenges and is keen on promoting personal and professional development. She is of Caribbean heritage and currently resides in London with her family.
In 2006 Andrea co-founded ACT Training Services, a London-based social enterprise to provide employability skills to people who are out of work and seeking to secure sustainable employment. Over the years the company has trained some 6,000 people free at the point of delivery, enabling them to gain marketable qualifications and develop competencies that position them to move into employment or start their own business.
In 2013 Andrea co-founded Camptys Foundation – a not-for-profit organisation that supports front-line organisations working with disabled people living in deprived communities, enhancing their learning, opportunities for play and health. With the help of people in the community and sporadic pots of funding the organization has sent yearly gifts of books, toys, clothing and accessories to disabled children and their families in various developing countries.
Andrea enjoys writing and in 2010 published two non-fiction books. Her first book: Practical Business ABC – A Guide for Budding Entrepreneurs explores her own journey in business as well as the journeys of several business and motivational personalities, and presents them in an inspiring A-Z text for budding entrepreneurs. Her second book: Jamaican Proverbs, People and Places is a chronicle of Jamaican proverbs, sayings, folk songs, places of interest, outstanding nationals, historical information on Jamaica, symbols, food, flora and fauna, among others.
In this podcast Andrea shares with us her story and how she went from being a frustrated parent to an innovative and award winning entrepreneur.