Cool Crutches Wins Stelios Awards for Disabled Entrepreneurs 2024
Last week our Co Founder Amelia Peckham, secured second place in the Stelios Awards for Disabled Entrepreneurs 2024. As part of this prestigious award, Amelia has been granted £60,000 for the incredible work she’s achieved as an entrepreneur in the disabled community.
Launched in 2006, Cool Crutches & Walking Sticks was inspired by Amelia’s own experiences of using regular crutches that hindered her recovery, following a spinal cord injury from a quad bike accident that left her with a life-altering disability at the age of 19.
Along with her mother, Amelia created a line of innovative walking aids for adults and children that are comfortable, colourful, customisable, and easy to use. The company aims to empower those with disabilities or mobility issues to move and walk more comfortably while feeling confident.
Amelia plans to use the £60,000 grant to launch into new markets and make their products more accessible, allowing even more people to live comfortably, safely, confidently and in style.
Winning the Award
The Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, founded by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou and in partnership with Leonard Cheshire, supports disabled entrepreneurs in the UK with cash prizes to stimulate economic growth and job creation among the disabled community. This year's Stelios Awards for Disabled Entrepreneurs distributed £200,000 to the top three winners, including Amelia.
Amelia (left) wearing Blue Gingham Cool Crutches alongside winner Cedric Bloch Founder of Brigit's Bakery, Ruth Owen OBE CEO of Leonard Cheshire, Trustee of Stelios Foundation, Peter Barton and Debra Cartlidge Founder of Deaf Village North West
Alongside Amelia, Cedric Bloch from Brigit's Bakery secured first place and Debra Cartlidge from Deaf Village North West placed third winning £100,000 and £40,000 respectively.
Amelia pictured alongside (from left to right) Tracy Ghori, UK Coordinator Stelios Foundation, Ruth Owen OBE CEO of Leonard Cheshire & Trustee of Stelios Foundation, Peter Barton
Amelia Peckham, co-founder of Cool Crutches and Walking Sticks, comments:
“Sadly, disabled entrepreneurs are often seen as a risk and having a disability in a business environment is all too often perceived as a weakness. In reality, living with a disability gives you a number of qualities that are continuously celebrated and admired in entrepreneurs — resilience, tenacity, never giving up, knowing your weaknesses, and being confident in asking for help, to name just a few.
“What Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou is doing is the future. Understanding the value in disabled-founded businesses is one thing but to support and fuel their growth is huge. At the same time acknowledging the value of including the disabled community in all business is crucial to future value. The reality is simple — including us will only benefit you, your business and your future too.
“To be acknowledged as one of the winners is simply incredible! This grant will be a complete game-changer, allowing Cool Crutches and Walking Sticks to maintain and build on the phenomenal success we have had to date, but also to grow. This award will help us increase our production, expand our team, improve how we work, open new markets and allow us to make our products more accessible so even more people can live comfortably, safely, confidently and in style.
“These awards celebrate all the incredible value disabled people bring to business, shine a light on the success of disabled entrepreneurship, and challenge outdated stigmas in the best way!”
To find out more about the awards and how to apply please visit https://stelios.foundation/, to hear more about Amelia's work you can:
Follow Amelia on LinkedIn
Follow Cool Crutches on Instagram
