Lee Blake

The clothes, like the company, represent a modern, vibrant and diverse Britain. With his finger firmly on the pulse of the global political scene, founder Lee Blake launched a new range of hoodies and t-shirts to celebrate Barack Obama’s American election victory.

Alongside 50FIFTY’s cross cultural clothing range, Lee also works closely with young people facing social exclusion. He runs design and enterprise workshops and longer term alternative education programmes to re-engage with young people, offering an alternative for those left out by the mainstream system. Having been excluded six times in his final two years of school, Lee is a firm believer in creating new opportunities for young people, particularly in enterprise and  design.

How did your business idea come about?

After an England match in 2004 I was on a train with fellow countrymen who were singing racist songs. I decided then to mix the Union Jack with the Jamaican flag, as I am mixed race: half British half Jamaican – 50FIFTY!

What was the biggest barrier in getting to where you are today?

Time. I have two young boys and a partner, and for the first 18 months I also had a full time job. Finding the time to get a business off the ground was and is difficult. I have had to make sacrifices and so too have my family

Do you think there are enough role models of young people who have set up in businesses?

Absolutely not. For many of the young people I work with legitimate business is still seen as something very much for white middle class men. We are trying to change that. We show young people how to make money legally by designing, making and selling their own clothes. We are also building a network of youth groups across the UK who will set up their own social enterprise or business.

What would your advice be to someone thinking about setting up their own business?

I have two mantras that I live by, ‘nothing ventured nothing gained’ and ‘live your dreams, don’t dream your life’. We live in one of the biggest economies in the world and we have lots of opportunities that most of the world would love to have. I think it’s everyone’s duty to make their mark.