ew Skills Academy is thrilled to announce that our co-founder, Chris Morgan, received the NatWest Great British Entrepreneur Award for Family Business Entrepreneur of the Year. We are very proud of Chris for all he has accomplished. At only 34, Chris has created multiple successful businesses, developed strong relationships with just about everyone he has worked with, and overcome personal challenges to achieve the success he has today.

Chris was able to see the importance and appeal of ‘leisure learning’, online learning and continuous education before many others, creating New Skills Academy as a way to help others indulge in their passion for learning. Setting up an e-learning business was a risk, but with Chris’ vision, dedication and business skills, he and his brother Dan transformed it from a small online school to flourishing business, with nearly 100,000 students.

The NatWest Great British Entrepreneur Awards have been handed out to hardworking and inspiring British entrepreneurs for the past five years. The Award recognises the stories and motivations behind each winner, rather than focusing solely on financial success. The ceremony celebrates individuals in 12 different categories, including Family Business of the Year.

This year saw a surge in applications, tripling previous years, with over a thousand entries received across five regions. The founder, Francesca James, talked about the struggle the judges had in selecting winners, as the entries received this year were “the best ever”. In the end, they selected entrepreneurs who have impacted their industry, entrepreneurship in their region and the greater UK economy.

We hope you will join us in extending our congratulations to Chris for this wonderful acknowledgement of all he does for the region. Chris truly embodies all that the NatWest Great British Entrepreneur Awards values and we are so proud of him for this amazing accomplishment.