From Start Up support to Scholarship Win: How Entrepreneur Liz is Changing Lives

Entrepreneur Liz Forshaw

Care leaver and entrepreneur Liz Forshaw has recently embarked on the next chapter of her journey in “empowering, encouraging and inspiring children.”  

The 31-year-old, who is studying BSc (Hons) Psychology at Edge Hill University, founded a business in 2010 to help build children’s confidence and resilience in a creative way, drawing on her own experiences as a teenager in care in the north Liverpool area.

Liz, who is from Aintree but lives in Warrington, said: “I only have one goal in life and that is to empower, encourage and inspire. Having this as a child is so important, so it’s become what I’ve dedicated my life to doing.”

Through confidence sessions and workshops at Best Self Club, ran by Liz herself – a qualified business and personal life coach – children are encouraged to explore their own identities, focusing on confidence and resilience through a growth mindset.

Having initially received funded advice and support from local enterprise support charity The Women’s Organisation, Liz’s business turned into a nationwide franchise, raising more than £100,000 for children’s charities along the way. She now intends to grow Best Self Club across schools in the Merseyside area and further afield.

Liz, far right, with some of the children she has helped empower, encourage and inspire

Still celebrating the news of being granted a scholarship, Liz has also recently been guaranteed a place on a volunteering trip to Ghana, Africa in December.

“I’ve always wanted to volunteer in an orphanage or a school so the news of this on top of the scholarship is just wonderful.

“Being able to take what I’ve learned from my time at Edge Hill, and from running my own businesses, across the world to another continent and empower children over there will be amazing.”

Since studying at Edge Hill, Liz has become a volunteer at the National Youth Advocacy Service for looked after children and supports others studying Psychology as a peer mentor.

She left school without any GCSEs and was recently diagnosed with dyslexia but is looking towards a bright future, hoping to graduate with a PhD and become a lecturer, passing on her knowledge to another generation in a dyslexia-friendly way.

Liz also hopes to open a creative school and to publish a collection of workbooks to help people through challenging times.

To find out more about  more about scholarships at Edge Hill visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/scholarships

And if like Liz you've got entrepreneurial ambition and would like to receive advice and support to get started, give The Women's Organisation a call on 0151 706 8111 or drop a line to hello@thewo.org.uk