Member News
The Entrepreneurs’ Forum has always stood for more than business success. It champions leadership with responsibility, grounded in the belief that entrepreneurship can help to build a stronger North East and be a genuine force for good.
This week, Entrepreneurs’ Forum member Alisdair Beveridge, founder and managing director of The Build Directory, is calling on fellow entrepreneurs and business leaders across the region to put that belief into action.
Alisdair is supporting an urgent fundraising campaign for Benny, a four-year-old boy diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive childhood cancer.
Benny’s family are raising funds to access CAR-T cell treatment in Rome, a potentially life-saving option that is not currently available through the NHS.
The appeal came via Anthony Hutton, founder of the Never Threw in the Towel Project and a mental health campaigner, who contacted Alisdair after learning of the family’s situation. Within days, Alisdair and Anthony met Benny’s mother, Nicola, at the family home in Durham.
“Seeing the reality first-hand makes it impossible to stand still,” said Alisdair. “This is one of those moments where you don’t overthink, you just act.”
Alisdair immediately began mobilising his network, engaging broadcasters and supporters, including Gary Phillipson and Alfie Joey, to help raise awareness and accelerate fundraising. The message was simple: cancer doesn’t respect geography, and compassion shouldn’t either.
Central to the campaign is Alisdair’s long-standing mentor and inspiration, Charlie Mullins, founder of Pimlico Plumbing and now CEO of We Fix London. The two entrepreneurs have stayed in touch for many years, sharing values and a belief that business success carries a responsibility to give back.
Charlie has experience in this space, having previously led a high-profile fundraising campaign for a young child with neuroblastoma in partnership with Solving Kids’ Cancer UK, the same charity now supporting Benny’s campaign.
“What we can’t do alone, we can do together,” Charlie Mullins often says, and together, We Fix London and The Build Directory are calling on builders, tradespeople, business owners, and entrepreneurs to support the campaign by donating, sharing, and amplifying the message.
Alisdair believes the Entrepreneurs’ Forum’s collective reach could be transformational. “This isn’t a financial investment,” he said. “It’s an investment in hope. If everyone does a little, we can do something extraordinary.”
A reminder that some returns can’t be measured in profit but matter far more, the campaign, dubbed the “Bank of Human Kindness”, has already raised over £200,000, but needs to reach £393,000 as soon as possible so Benny is able to begin treatment.
To donate, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/benjaminahmanizad
