An aspiring tennis player who left the sport to focus on running his own business has received a boost after being backed by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Startup scheme.
Adam Maddock, 24, was tipped for stardom after representing Great Britain and training at the same academies that produced Andy Murray and Maria Sharapova.
But Adam put tennis behind him to follow his dream of running his own business. He has now launched www.gifts4you.tv and is being backed by the Virgin Startup scheme which offers mentorship and advice.
Adam said he hopes that working with Virgin Startup will help him establish his business as not just a distinguished e-commerce site for gifts, but as a business that supports a broad range of charities.
The site sells more than 9,000 gifts including handbags, mugs, including branded and licensed merchandise, such as big Disney, Frozen, Manchester United and Warner Brother.
The site also offers charities the chance to have a free page on the site to sell their own goods.
Adam said the desire to help and provide a platform for charities to raise money has been a deep rooted devotion since losing his sister Vanessa to leukaemia.
Adam and his Family raised money for various causes, including £50,000 for the hospital his sister was treated in.
A Virgin Startup spokesman said: ‘It’s great that Adam Maddock is progressing his business, Gifts4You.TV and we are delighted to have been able to support his journey with mentoring and advice.’
Adam added: ‘We would like to expand to become an international brand and help charities all around the world by becoming one of the leading ecommerce sites.’
