An East Lancashire child psychologist is in the running for one of this year’s Great British Entrepreneur awards.
Samantha Weld-Blundell from the Ribble Valley is well-placed to win a Disruptor of the Year title, as one of just six of the 4,800 entrants to be shortlisted.
Dr Weld-Blundell is the founder of an innovative, online service providing easy access, psychological support for children and parents.
Her website, The Little Psychology Company, is the first of its kind in Great Britain and has an intuitive booking system, providing almost 24/7 availability.
Via video-conferencing, parents, educators and their children can connect with a child psychologist in a virtual space.
Dr Weld-Blundell said: “I started this company to address a need that I saw was not being met.
"We provide support in a way that is straightforward and affordable while meeting the demands of the fast-paced lives we all live.
"Underpinning this, is our belief that every child should have the opportunity to reach their potential and be as happy as possible.”
This new approach to the growing demand for support, has already won the Little Psychology Company significant acclaim as recognition from users of the website’s services is consistently five-star rated with one parent stating: “Dr Weld-Blundell has been amazing; available, knowledgeable and providing such insight into a really difficult situation.”
In 2020 The Little Psychology Company was a winner of the Elementor Global Showcase awards due to 'surpassing the expectation of designing a beautiful website'.
The website builders, Jersey-based The Observatory, were hugely impressed by Dr Weld-Blundell and were keen to get involved in the project.
A spokesperson for The Observatory said: "Sam is that rare breed of brave visionary who has the understanding and background to disrupt her sector and the confidence to trust us to deliver her vision.
"We are delighted to see her already receiving global acclaim.”
The judging panel makes its decisions on Monday November 22 at the awards event in London, having focused not only on the innovation of the entrepreneurs but also the passion, vision and tenacity behind the projects.
Dr Weld-Blundell is therefore well-positioned to score highly, and hopefully, to bring home to East Lancashire a well-earned prize.
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