Spark Up, Liverpool’s first free business accelerator programme, has strengthened its ambitions to further entrepreneurship in the city by appointing a new project team.

Anelise Siddle and Chris Callaway have joined Spark Up as Business Enablers and will offer onsite support for the programme’s entrepreneurs, helping encourage business growth and development.

The pair has also had an instrumental role in developing a new look 12-week calendar of activity which includes mentoring sessions, business panels, pitching and seminars.

University of Newcastle graduate, Anelise, has direct experience supporting start-up businesses, after working as an Operations Director for a start-up children’s retailer, securing £100,000 worth of investment. The company was featured on popular BBC programme Be Your Own Boss.

She has also delivered Enterprise Education programmes to various universities, councils and education partners in the North East.

Chris joins Spark Up after completing a Masters degree in Entrepreneurship at the University of Liverpool following a career change from management in music education. His original degree was Music with Business, graduating from Liverpool Hope.

Entrepreneurs in residence Charles Oddy, Chris Fry and Jobey Marlowe, with support from NatWest relationship manager Andrea Richardson will complete this year’s Spark Up team, providing mentoring and guidance for the entrepreneurs.

They will join founder and Liverpool Chamber CEO Jenny Stewart and strategic business consultant Michelle Helsby in delivering the next programme which starts on October 1st.

Jenny Stewart said:

“Chris and Anelise join us at an exciting time as we start our third programme. Their skills, combined with their passion to promote entrepreneurship, allow us to offer increased support and encourage business growth in the region.

“My vision is that over the next few years, Spark up will be the number one accelerator for business growth in the North West, creating new jobs in the city and helping retain the talent and drive for entrepreneurship that is so abundant in Liverpool.”

To date Spark Up has created more than £400,000 worth of investment opportunities for start-ups in the city region, helped increase collective turnover by 163% and generated a total of 45 jobs for local people.

Spark Up was founded by the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce in partnership with NatWest and is supported by Liverpool-based businesses Glow New Media and The BIG Partnership, as well as the University of Liverpool.