THREAD.

The tweet that got me to Number 10.

In 2014 Lord Young worked for PM Cameron and completed his #Enterprise For All report.

Because that’s what Innovative Enterprise is all about I read and used it to inform our work.

1/.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/338749/EnterpriseforAll-lowres-200614.pdf https://twitter.com/enterprisesbox/status/1353076201460359179

Anyone who follows me will know I’m decidedly not a fan of the Conservative Party but the Young report was a great insight and steer for the country to support young people through enterprise schemes and plans...after the coalition had decimated careers support.

I liked it.
2/.

I tweeted along the lines of ‘despite my political leanings, I find myself drawn to supporting @TheLordYoung Enterprise for All report’, in early 2015.

Lord Young commented and said ‘I hope you didn’t find it too hard to like it’.

I replied stating I felt it very positive.
3/

The Enterprise for All report outlines the plans for the @CareerEnt and a #careers passport idea.

At about this time I’d met someone called Sid at a speaker’s meeting in Manchester. Sid was working on a system for collecting YP’s skills and experience online.

So I took...
4/.

...a chance and tweeted Lord Young again suggesting we may have an answer to his plans for the online passport idea.

The next morning he had replied and followed me. He asked me to call his assistant and book in to see him in the next few weeks.

When I got off the floor...
5/

...I sent him a reply and called his assistant.

“Hello, Lord Young asked me to call and book an appointment”.

“Yes?”

“In the next few weeks.”

“Yes?”

“When is Lord Young free?”

“Just pick a date. He’s quite quiet”.

We booked a date in and planned for the meeting.

6/.

Sid and I put a presentation together and print and bound it professionally - we did this over the phone and web, arranging to meet at Euston.

We met and Sid was wearing a nice pair of RED cords.

Red cords? Really?!?

Hiding my surprise, we chatted and wombled to Pret.
7/.

Prepared and ready, we walked to Downing Street and waited at the gate, said our names and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Eventually, frisked and prepared we walked with a lovely chatty policewoman up the street...stopping for Churchill’s Grandson...
8/.

Sir Nicholas Soames #TheMPWhoUsesExtremelyLongHashtagsInHisTweets and some of his constituents dropping a petition to Number 10 and a photo shoot.

After the pics were taken, it was our turn in front of the famous door. Pictures were taken and we were led inside.
9/.

Phones confiscated and we waited for 10 minutes in a corridor as people moved around like it was a sit-com. Doors opening and people walking briskly about, criss-crossing looking harassed and busy.
We met the Lord in an office above the famous door for 45 minutes.
10/.

He outlined the plans for putting the Careers and Enterprise company together, the ideas for the passport and how he was winding down before the May 2015 election.

We could tell Sid’s idea that we’d developed further wasn’t going to be the one. We thanked Lord Young.
11/.

We left Number 10 and Downing Street. Chatted for 10 minutes and split.

I never saw Sid again.

I should’ve known. Red trousers.

Anyway, following the meeting I watched the progress of the Careers & Enterprise Company and, as part of @makeituk won a bid in the NW.
12/.

As part of the bid’s progress, we were invited to present at the Joining The Dots conference in Liverpool in 2016 where I spoke on stage with Nicky Morgan, Claudia Harris and...Lord Young.

That’s where the photo below is from.

Ends/.