Barrie Wells
Encyclopedia
Barrie Wells is an English
financial services
entrepreneur
and businessperson
, who has set up and sold two major insurance-related businesses in his career. In 2008, so inspired by the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
, Wells donated £2 million to a sports athletics fund to sponsor future British athletes.
record holder Ernest Latimer Stones
, Wells was born and raised in Bootle
, Liverpool
and educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby
.
Wells setup direct home and motor insurance operation Prospero Direct, which after its sale became AXA Direct. He then setup Premierline Direct, the UK's first direct commercial insurance operation which he founded with his business partner, Philippa Rothwell; this was then sold to Allianz
in 2006. Wells was also a Non-Executive Director of Marks & Spencer Money
for ten years.
A keen amateur 400m runner, Wells has travelled to every Olympic Games since 1972. He has a box at Liverpool F.C.
's Anfield
ground, which he donates for the use of disabled and terminally ill children and young adults.
funding a core 18 athletes receive, Wells hopes to make a real difference to their preparations for international sporting competitions, and will experience being part of each of the athletes individual journeys until 2012. The first athlete sponsored was Liverpool heptathlete Katarina Thompson.
The foundation also works at ground roots level, with hands on involvement with young people at schools and local sports clubs. The Foundation also invites applications from schools and sports clubs for grants of up to £2,000 to fund initiatives that will increase participation in sport.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
financial services
Financial services
Financial services refer to services provided by the finance industry. The finance industry encompasses a broad range of organizations that deal with the management of money. Among these organizations are credit unions, banks, credit card companies, insurance companies, consumer finance companies,...
entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
and businessperson
Businessperson
A businessperson is someone involved in a particular undertaking of activities for the purpose of generating revenue from a combination of human, financial, or physical capital. An entrepreneur is an example of a business person...
, who has set up and sold two major insurance-related businesses in his career. In 2008, so inspired by the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Wells donated £2 million to a sports athletics fund to sponsor future British athletes.
Biography
The grandson of former World Pole VaultPole vault
Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...
record holder Ernest Latimer Stones
Ernest Latimer Stones
Ernest Latimer Stones was an English amateur athlete, who held the world pole vault record of in 1889.Born in Bootle, Liverpool, Stones was AAA champion in 1888 and 1889, the Scottish Championships three times, the Canadian and Irish Championships both once, and is the only Briton ever to win an...
, Wells was born and raised in Bootle
Bootle
Bootle is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England, and a 'Post town' in the L postcode area. Formally known as Bootle-cum-Linacre, the town is 4 miles to the north of Liverpool city centre, and has a total resident population of 77,640.Historically part of...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby
Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby
Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby is a British independent school for day pupils, located in Great Crosby on Merseyside....
.
Wells setup direct home and motor insurance operation Prospero Direct, which after its sale became AXA Direct. He then setup Premierline Direct, the UK's first direct commercial insurance operation which he founded with his business partner, Philippa Rothwell; this was then sold to Allianz
Allianz
SE is a global financial services company headquartered in Munich, Germany. Its core business and focus is insurance. As of 2010, it was the world's 12th-largest financial services group and 23rd-largest company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine.Its Allianz Global Investors...
in 2006. Wells was also a Non-Executive Director of Marks & Spencer Money
Marks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer plc is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products...
for ten years.
A keen amateur 400m runner, Wells has travelled to every Olympic Games since 1972. He has a box at Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
's Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
ground, which he donates for the use of disabled and terminally ill children and young adults.
Wells Sports Foundation
After being inspired by a visit to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Wells set up the Wells Sports Foundation. By supplementing the UK AthleticsUK Athletics
UK Athletics is the governing body for the sport of athletics in the United Kingdom. It is responsible for overseeing the governance of athletics events in the UK as well as athletes, their development, and athletics officials....
funding a core 18 athletes receive, Wells hopes to make a real difference to their preparations for international sporting competitions, and will experience being part of each of the athletes individual journeys until 2012. The first athlete sponsored was Liverpool heptathlete Katarina Thompson.
The foundation also works at ground roots level, with hands on involvement with young people at schools and local sports clubs. The Foundation also invites applications from schools and sports clubs for grants of up to £2,000 to fund initiatives that will increase participation in sport.
Sponsored athletes and programmes
- Heptathlon: Jessica EnnisJessica EnnisJessica Ennis, MBE is a British track and field athlete specialising in multi-eventing disciplines and 100m hurdles...
(patron), Katarina Thompson - Modern pentathlonModern pentathlonThe modern pentathlon is a sports contest that includes five events: pistol shooting, épée fencing, 200 m freestyle swimming, show jumping, and a 3 km cross-country run...
: Sam WealeSam WealeSamuel "Sammy" Weale is a British modern pentathlete who has competed at the Olympic Games. Weale competed for Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics, in Beijing, China, and finished 10th in the men's modern pentathlon. His identical twin Chris is a goalkeeper who has played for Leicester City...
, Freyja Prentice - Running: Dai Greene, Jenny MeadowsJenny MeadowsJennifer Brenda "Jenny" Meadows is a British athlete. Her main event is the 800 m, although she previously competed over the 400 m.She is the third-fastest British woman over 800 m, behind Kelly Holmes and Kirsty Wade....
, Michael RimmerMichael RimmerMichael Alan Rimmer is an English middle-distance runner. He was born in Southport. Originally a member of Southport Waterloo AC, he defected to rivals Liverpool Pembroke Sefton, who he still now races with. He also attended Christ The King catholic high school and broke numerous records in school...
, Stephanie TwellStephanie TwellStephanie April "Steph" Twell is a Scottish middle distance runner. She was the winner of the 1500 metres at the World Junior Championships in 2008, and is a three time winner of the European Cross Country Championships junior women's race as well as being part of four winning Great Britain...
, Jodie WilliamsJodie WilliamsJodie Alicia Williams is a junior British sprinter, who specialises in the 100 metres and the 200 metres. She is the former World Youth Champion over both distances, the reigning World Junior and European Junior Champion in the 100 m and European Junior Champion in the 200 m.Williams had... - Swimming: Hannah MileyHannah MileyHannah Louise Miley is a British and Scottish individual medley swimmer. She currently swims for GASC . She is the reigning European 400m individual medley champion in both long course and short course formats...
, Liam TancockLiam TancockLiam John Tancock is an English backstroke swimmer who specializes in the 50 m and 100 m events. He began his swimming career at Exeter City Swimming Club in Devon and continued at Loughborough University where he studied sports science...
, Caitlin McClatcheyCaitlin McClatcheyCaitlin McClatchey is a Scottish swimmer. To date her greatest sporting achievement was winning two gold medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games....
, Lizzie Simmonds, Anne Bochmann - Triathlon: Mark BuckinghamMark BuckinghamMark Buckingham is a British comic book artist. He is better known for his work on Marvelman and Fables.-Biography:Born as Mark John Buckingham May 23, 1966 in Clevedon, United Kingdom...
, Matthew Gunby - British Triathlon's new talent identification programme, trigold, presently covering: Adam BowdenAdam BowdenAdam Bowden is a British international triathlete and former international runner who specialized in the 3000 metres steeplechase.-Early Life and Education:...
, Charlotte Roach and Katie Ingram