Starting a business is notoriously difficult, but one entrepreneur launched her fitness empire in her first year at college. Now, just two years later she has opened her own studio – and she’s only 19. Samantha King reports.

When Amy Simpson left school, she decided a traditional A-level route wasn’t for her. Instead, she enrolled at Middlesbrough College to pursue courses in level two fitness instructing and level three personal training.

Her passion for fitness was a constant throughout her time at school, where she captained the football team, and “always liked leading”, a quality that would prove to be crucial in the success of her business.

Although it was a full-time course, I had a couple of hours in the morning or in the afternoon between study times, so I’d fit in personal training classes then

At just 16, during the first year of her studies at Middlesbrough College, Amy decided to set up a personal training and group fitness class service, which she called Amy Simpson Fitness.

Speaking of how she juggled her work and study life, she said: “Although it was a full-time course, I had a couple of hours in the morning or in the afternoon between study times, so I’d fit in personal training classes then. When I was qualified to teach classes, I ran them at night, and it built up and up from there.”

Building a client base through leafleting and social media, she would train clients in whatever space she could find. For personal training sessions, she would work with them in football fields, and even their front rooms and gardens. When it came to group classes she would rent out school halls, paying by the hour.

“When I first started my classes, they were very small in numbers and it was a struggle to get them to expand. Starting off, I just had my friends and family there.

“In the first couple of weeks I thought, ‘There’re only eight people here, is it worth carrying on?’ because I was only making £4 at the end of the night after I had paid the venue.”

A business unit on her course gave Amy the confidence to take her next steps and when she left the college, she invested in a 2,000 sq ft fitness venue in the heart of Normanby high street in North Yorkshire.

“As soon as I saw the premises I thought ‘yes, I need it’. It had all the metal beams to hang all my bags on and it was just perfect. I said there and then that I wanted it, and signed the papers.”

Amy’s business has grown exponentially in the two years it has been in operation and classes that started out with a handful of family and friends now regularly attract around 30 clients.

“At the beginning it might be hard and it might be embarrassing if only three people are turning up to the class, but you’ve just got to keep going because that three will soon turn into 30.”

Her client base now ranges from teenage boys training to go into the army and wanting to build up their general fitness, to women who are struggling to put on weight and want to develop muscle.

Speaking of how college helped her, she said: “I couldn’t have done it all without the experience at Middlesbrough College behind me. My tutors really encouraged me, and it was working with them that gave me the inspiration to go for it.”

Featured picture: Amy at her new fitness studio

A dedicated volunteer and manager at a Teesside college hopes to raise thousands of pounds selling poppies this November.

Sian Cameron, who is support centre manager at Stockton Riverside College’s engineering and vocational training provider, NETA Training, spends two weeks a year working 14-hour shifts for free during the poppy appeal.

Last year, Sian and her team of volunteers raised more than £50,000 for the Royal British Legion charity, and she hopes to raise even more this year.

The charity provides lifelong support for the Armed Forces community, including serving men and women, veterans and their families.

The 34-year-old took on the job of annually shifting 60,000 poppies for the poppy appeal following the death of her father in 2010, and is now entering her sixth year as a volunteer.

Cameron said: “As poppy appeal organiser for Hartlepool it is something my dad, Ian, was really passionate about. He was proud to be involved”.

“When he died suddenly after suffering a heart attack in 2010, it seemed only right for me to step into the role.”

With her small terraced cottage filled with poppies year-round, volunteer Sian has even had to have her loft renovated to accommodate them all.

Featured picture: Sian with her beloved poppies

A group of social work students at Bradford College are preparing to spend the night outside to raise money for the homeless.

The team will give up their home comforts and bed down at the Shay Stadium in Halifax as part of a charity fundraising event.

The students have already raised over £500 through their online fundraising page, and hope to hit a grand total of £1,000 before the event takes place on November 11.

Marco Radley, who is in the second year of her social work course at the college, said: “A few of us did the event last year and it was absolutely freezing, we were cold to the bone, but it’s for a great cause. As tough as it was to do last year, we all felt it was very worthwhile and wanted to do it again.”

The ‘Under 1 Roof’ fundraiser, which will see teams of fundraisers come together to sleep outside, has been organised by homeless charity Calderdale Smartmove, which assists homeless and vulnerably housed people to find accommodation in the Calderdale area.

Featured picture: The students with their sponsorship forms for the fundraiser

A unique life skills programme for first-year students at the Sixth Form College Birkenhead has reached its halfway point – and students are already feeling the benefits.

Devised by two psychology teachers at the college, Roy Owen and Amanda Hoey, and deputy principal Mike Kilbride, the BePART (Be Positive, Ambitious, Resilient, Thoughtful) course looks at methods to improve mental health and wellbeing in teenagers.

The six-week programme focusses on the importance of sleep and diet, challenging negative thoughts, and mindfulness – a form of meditation.

Students who joined the Wirral-based college in September have now had three sessions and several are already reporting an increase in their overall wellbeing.

Sixteen-year-old Eleanor Adams, who studies biology, chemistry, English literature and maths at the college, said: “I’ve found it really therapeutic. It’s helped me with stress levels and eating habits, and made me take a step back and assess what I’m doing, which makes things a lot easier and calmer.”

“This kind of programme is so important. You may have the ability to get good grades but you’re never going to achieve that if you’re burnt out.”

Featured picture: (L-R) Psychology teacher Roy Owen, head girl Emily Wagstaff, head boy Louis Earley, psychology teacher Amanda Hoey

Staff and students from the hair and beauty department at Bridgwater and Taunton College had a lesson on sustainability during a recent trip to Spain.

The aim of the trip was to get students involved with the Green Salon project in Malaga, which develops innovative ways of promoting sustainability in the hair and beauty sector in schools, colleges and businesses.

During the visit, staff and students played a vital role in the next stages of the project, developing educational tools for use within the hairdressing industry across the EU.  

Lucinda Vaughan, curriculum manager for hair and beauty at the college, said: “As a college we are so fortunate to be linked with such an important project. This trip has enabled our students to collaborate with a group of international students to discuss ideas, produce an industry video and visit Spanish salons.”

The trip also included a visit to L’Oréal Green Academy in Madrid, a salon which combines the application of modern technology and the use of environmentally friendly materials to develop a new method of hairdressing for future generations.

Featured picture: Tutor Lucinda Vaughan, centre, Rebecca Franks, top left, Melanie Sukevic, bottom left, Sophie Westlake, top right, Ellie-Mae Davies, bottom right