The founder of Preston-based Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing, Lee Chambers, has been inducted into the Black Cultural Archives as part of a cohort of 40 Black cultural leaders.
The ceremony, which took place at Brixton House Theatre, inaugurated 40 new leaders in celebration of 40 years of the Black Cultural Archives opening in 1982. As well as their induction, each of the awardees has become part of a portrait exhibition curated by Sherece Rainford, which has been on show at the Black Cultural Archives building on Windrush Square.
Psychologist Chambers was the only nominee from Lancashire, and one of only five from the North. He has historically been a proud advocate of his home county through both his personal and business pursuits.
It comes at the end of a standout year which has seen Chambers winning several awards, including a Great British Entrepreneur Award. His workplace wellbeing company, Essentialise, has more than doubled in growth during 2022, despite the current economic challenges facing businesses across the region and the nation.
Chambers has also recently launched Black STEM Futures, a mentoring and support organisation for Black female STEM graduates, addressing the opportunity gap and inequity across sectors. The debut 2022 cohort is now filled and should provide some interesting stories in the coming months.
Most recently in a year of prestigious achievements for Chambers, he appeared as a judge at last week’s Prolific North Tech Awards.
Chambers said: “It is one of the proudest and most humbling moments of my life. To be selected alongside some of the most talented and revered Black leaders in their fields is truly an honour. Having this position allows me to become even more of a role model to the next generation, and it is a responsibility that I care about deeply. Possibly the most important part for me is being one of only five awardees from the North, and I’m overjoyed to showcase the area that raised me in a positive light.”
For 40 years, the Black Cultural Archives (BCA) mission has remained solid in collecting, preserving, and celebrating the histories of people of African and Caribbean descent in the UK.
Dr Yvonne Thompson CBE, chair of the BCA, said: “This is a new era for BCA and with that, we recognise and celebrate new talent in our communities.“It is important that we continue to keep the fires of creativity, education, and resilience, through our young talent to light the way for BCA, for the next 40 years.”
