Heather Frankham

Member since 2021

Heather’s professional background is in education. A teacher by training, she taught in primary and secondary schools in the Bristol area before focussing on Further Education where she founded and built the Lifetime Training Group into the largest provider of apprenticeships in the UK. Heather’s passion remains in supporting children and young people to achieve their potential. After selling Lifetime in 2016, she has remained committed to the delivery of high quality training supporting other educational businesses to develop and grow. Heather is a Non Exec Director of Paragon Skills – an apprenticeship provider in care and education - and the Founder of Bud Systems – a software platform to support training providers to deliver their training more effectively.

Heather's other business interests in Bristol include Origin Workspace – a flexible, professional office environment with collaboration at its core. All of Origin's profits go to The Origin Foundation that provides grants to local charities supporting children and young people. Heather has also invested in a number of local businesses through Bristol Private Equity Club, which focusses on early stage funding for innovative businesses with the potential for high growth. Her personal focus is on Impact Investing where businesses are able to demonstrate social or environmental impact in addition to their growth story.

Heather's charitable work includes Coach Core, an organisation that supports sports coaching in areas of deprivation, and OnSide, a charity that creates Youth Zones to support and amplify the delivery of aspirational youth provision in cities across the UK. Heather is currently supporting Youth Moves to bring the first Onside Youth Zone to Bristol, planned to open in 2025.

Heather has been involved in Education and Youth initiatives within SMV