Three disabled entrepreneurs won £300,000 at the 18th annual Stelios Awards. Guy Walker received £150,000 for his recruitment firm Dovetail & Slate, Theo Constanti £100,000 for The Marble Group, and Jack Sims £50,000 for Adaptiv Mobility. The awards, run with Leonard Cheshire, celebrate business success and provide funding for growth.
Three inspiring business owners have been awarded cash prizes totaling £300,000 as part of the 18th annual Stelios Awards for Disabled Entrepreneurs . Founded by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou and run in partnership with disability charity Leonard Cheshire , the awards recognize disabled entrepreneurs who are creating successful companies, generating wealth and jobs in the UK.
Guy Walker was absolutely delighted to receive the top prize of £150,000 for his recruitment firm, Dovetail & Slate, which he founded eight years ago and now turns over an incredible £60 million a year. The awards, held on Tuesday at the London HQ of the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, celebrate the achievements of disabled entrepreneurs and provide the support they need to take their businesses to the next level.
Theo Constanti, of stone worktop supplier The Marble Group, was named runner-up and awarded £100,000, while Jack Sims, of Adaptiv Mobility, received £50,000 for securing third place. This year's awards attracted 63 exceptional applications from disabled entrepreneurs across the UK, each with a business generating at least £200,000 in annual revenue.
For the first time since the awards started in 2007, applicants were asked to submit a video pitch and later-stage interviews were filmed for a pilot documentary, which will be released on the Foundation's YouTube channel in a few weeks. Sir Stelios, creator and owner of the easy family of brands and founder and president of the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, was delighted to reveal this year's winners. He said, 'We are proud to honour Guy, Theo and Jack today.
I was fascinated to learn more about each of their stories and found it inspiring how they found business success in their respective fields. We know how difficult it can be for disabled people to get a job; that is why I always believed that their best option is to become their own boss!
' Sir Stelios' Philanthropic Foundation has donated over £2 million since the awards began in 2007 - including this year's sum. It has also given £50,000 directly to Leonard Cheshire to help with the running of this year's awards. He added, 'These are three stand-out examples of how disabled entrepreneurs blaze the trail for others and inspire more disabled people to start their own businesses. We hope that the prize money can help their businesses go from strength to strength.
' Taking the top prize of £150,000 is Guy Walker, founder of Dovetail & Slate, a specialist UK recruitment agency focused exclusively on education and the public sector. The 33-year-old from Bristol set up the business in 2018 using £15,000 left to him by his social worker mother, who died of pancreatic cancer the year before.
It has since grown at an astonishing rate and now boasts £60 million in turnover and nearly 100 staff across offices in Bristol, Leeds and Manchester. Guy has ADHD, which he describes as a superpower when it comes to running a business. He explained, 'ADHD is the reason I cannot relax or live a normal life - I never feel like I am off work.
But on the other hand I can juggle multiple things at once, work really hard and have unlimited energy.
' Guy's personal experience of neurodiversity has shaped his approach to leadership and culture. He said, 'What sets us apart is the way we work - while much of the recruitment industry can feel fast-moving and transactional, we take the time to genuinely understand the people and organisations we support. To me, creating an environment where people can do their best work and feel genuinely valued is essential rather than optional.
Our culture also embraces disability, with 42 per cent of our workforce being neurodiverse.
' Guy will use his award funding to continue investing in his employees and building greater understanding of ADHD. He expressed, 'I am absolutely delighted to receive this award from Sir Stelios. The funding will be reinvested into the business to strengthen our foundations, improve resources, and continue building a positive, supportive culture for our team.
I also want to use part of the funding to support further education initiatives, contribute to the Full Circle Project (a Bristol-based charity supporting communities through youth work), and help promote greater awareness and understanding of ADHD through education and outreach.
' Theo Constanti, runner-up and recipient of £100,000, runs The Marble Group, a stone worktop supplier. Jack Sims, who won third place and £50,000, founded Adaptiv Mobility, a company specializing in mobility solutions. Both entrepreneurs have overcome significant challenges and are role models for the disabled community. The awards ceremony highlighted their resilience and business acumen.
The prizes are intended to help them scale their operations and create more jobs. Since its inception, the Stelios Awards for Disabled Entrepreneurs has provided over £2 million in funding, empowering disabled business owners across the UK. The 2026 winners join a prestigious list of past honorees who have gone on to achieve even greater success. The documentary featuring their stories will be available soon, showcasing how these entrepreneurs turned their disabilities into strengths.
This annual event continues to shine a light on the entrepreneurial spirit within the disabled community, breaking down barriers and promoting inclusivity in the business world
Stelios Awards Disabled Entrepreneurs Guy Walker Dovetail & Slate Leonard Cheshire
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£300,000 awarded to disabled entrepreneurs at Stelios AwardsThe 18th annual Stelios Awards for Disabled Entrepreneurs has recognised three inspiring business owners who are creating successful companies and generating wealth and jobs in the UK. The winners, Guy Walker, Theo Constanti, and Jack Sims, were awarded cash prizes totalling £300,000 for their achievements in creating successful businesses despite facing challenges as disabled entrepreneurs. The awards, held in partnership with disability charity Leonard Cheshire, aim to celebrate the achievements of disabled entrepreneurs and provide the support they need to take their businesses to the next level.
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