PRESS RELEASE: A-Star Sports nominated by Lord Young and Sir Terry Leahy as one of Britain’s brightest business talents

New business community to put the drive into ACCELERATE 2013

A-Star Sports has been invited to join the ACCELERATE 250, a new business community championed by Sir Terry Leahy and Lord Young and made up of the fastest growing companies in the UK.

Launched in October 2011, A-Star Sports is a multi award-winning franchise business. The A-Star Sports programme starts with the fundamentals and develops to offer children 10 core sports, including basketball, cricket, dodgeball, football, handball, hockey, rounders, rugby, tennis and volleyball. It is designed to make sport fun and accessible for children, and its peer-reviewed programme includes weekly classes, parties and holiday clubs, as well as regular sessions in nurseries, playgroups and pre-schools, which are attracting thousands of attendees per week.

The ACCELERATE 250 will be meeting for the first time at ACCELERATE 2013, Britain’s first flagship festival dedicated to high-potential businesses that is set to be held in Liverpool on June 27 and Sharon and Gary Bassett will be attending on A-Star Sports behalf.

The festival aims to raise the profile of the UK’s fastest growing businesses and their impact on the British economy, with the ACCELERATE 250 seen as key to mobilising wider support for entrepreneurs and start-ups.

Lord Young and Sir Terry Leahy have identified representatives from the UK’s fastest growing small and medium businesses, the “vital six per cent” of companies that are creating more than half of the nation’s new jobs, calling on them to work together in identifying solutions to mutual obstacles.

The group will be working closely with one another to address the key issues and shared challenges that face all growing businesses, meeting for a series of interactive discussions and debates.

Members of the ACCELERATE 250 come from across the UK and represent industries from food and fashion, to pharmaceuticals and finance.

ACCELERATE 2013 will see more than 1,000 delegates descend on Liverpool for a festival like no other, with Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, lastminute.com co-founder Martha Lane Fox, former All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick and Tech City UK CEO Joanna Shields among the confirmed speakers.

Sir Terry Leahy, former Tesco CEO, said: “It’s our belief that Britain’s prosperity in the 21st century global economy is going to be built on the success of high-potential, fast-growth businesses.

“That is why, this coming June, we will be assembling a new group of Britain’s brightest and best businesses to put them at the heart of Britain’s economic renaissance.

“It is our ambition that the 27 June will be just the start of the journey that sees the ACCELERATE 250 become the nucleus of Britain’s future high-growth economic success.”

Gary Bassett, co-founder and managing director of A-Star Sports, said: “We are thrilled that A-Star Sports has been identified as one of the UK’s most high-potential small businesses – we can’t wait to join up with the other ACCELERATE 250 members in Liverpool for what promises to be the start of a fantastic partnership.

“The programme has been designed to help small businesses grow successfully – it’s not every day you get the chance to receive business coaching from the likes of former All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick – a great role model for the sports industry.

“Having our hard work recognised by the likes of Sir Terry Leahy and Lord Young is a huge achievement for us. More than anything, we’re excited to be joining up with the very best that Britain’s businesses have to offer.”

Max Steinberg, Chief Executive of Liverpool Vision, said: “ACCELERATE 2013 will be a fantastic opportunity to showcase that the business world works best when it works together, with the ACCELERATE 250 embodying this collaborative spirit and we look forward to welcoming them to Liverpool.

“Members will have the opportunity to share their thoughts on how to make the successful transition from start-up to high-growth business.”

Notes to editors:

For further information, contact Sharon Bassett at A-Star Sports. T: 07932 182148 E: sharon.bassett@a-starsports.co.uk W: www.a-starsports.co.uk

For further information on Accelerate 2013, please contact:

Henrietta Walsh
Henrietta.walsh@sevenhillsgroup.co.uk
+44 (0) 20 7199 2212
Jonathan Caswell
jcaswell@liverpoolvision.co.uk
+44 (0) 151 600 2946

About Accelerate 2013
On 27 June 2013, the city of Liverpool will host Accelerate 2013, Britain’s flagship festival dedicated to high-growth businesses.

Bringing together outstanding speakers from the world of business and beyond, Accelerate 2013 will provide delegates with the inspiration and concrete tools they need to take their business to the next level.

The event will gather 1,000 delegates for a conference like no other, which will act as a unique accelerator for growth, motivating the best of British business to strive even higher and equipping them with the inspiration and insight to do so.

For further information, please visit: www.accelerate2013.co.uk