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“Social entrepreneurs have terrific sticking power”
– Liam Black
 Name: Liam Black
Age: 46
Company: FRC Group/The Fifteen Foundation/Cat’s Pyjamas/ Wavelength
Role: Director/founder
Where: Liverpool/Various
Liam is credited with turning round the fortunes of the Furniture Recycling Centre (FRC Group) in Liverpool before moving on to lead the expansion of Jamie Oliver’s chef training school Fifteen. He has also set up his own company, the Cat’s Pyjamas, to advise social businesses and entrepreneurs.
In his early days, Liam worked for homelessness charity Crisis and for The Big Issue, and in the eighties he campaigned against apartheid and social injustice.
Later he succeeded in turning FRC (Furniture Resource Centre) Group, in Liverpool, from a charity into a £5.5 million business. This, he says is because he was tired of seeing charities spending all their time on charity bids and wanted to make the business self-sufficient.
In 2004 he became director of the Fifteen Foundation, which exists to inspire disadvantaged young people – homeless, unemployed, overcoming drug or alcohol problems - to build careers in the restaurant industry.
Liam has recently announced that he is leaving Fifteen to work on other exciting projects. He also writes a regular column in Social Enterprise Magazine. Hear more from Liam in his interview, here.
www.frcgroup.co.uk / www.fifteen.net / www.the-cats-pyjamas.com
click here to read Liam's blog
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