Virgin Media Pioneers filling the stockings of Virgin employees

Virgin Media Pioneers, the entrepreneur network that we've been supercharging since 2010, helps entrepreneurs in the UK to Get Ahead - with practical advice, funding and projects, Get Inspired - using great content to expand their ideas and tweak their dreams and Get Connected - with other Pioneers who can help them get their ideas off the ground and share hot tips. It's a super programme that continues to go from strength to strength!

This Christmas we were keen to support our Pioneers, so we organised a Pioneers Christmas Market at our Virgin Media office in Hammersmith and the Virgin Management office in Battleship. Both events were a rip-roaring success, with the Pioneers scoring pre-Christmas sales and our employees getting ahead of the Christmas rush. Happy faces all-round!

At the Virgin Media Christmas Market we had 10 fantastic businesses selling products that ranged from homemade chocolates to African inspired homeware and gorgeous jewellery. I have to admit that I would have loved to buy everything, if my purse and cycle paniers had allowed!

These are the businesses that joined us, if you want to check them out yourself for some fabulous Christmas gifts: Jubella London, Chocci, Celebrate, Oaks Hampers, C Grand London, Yours Sustainably, Kease Keyrings, London Butterfly, Sweet Hangovers and the Rainy Day Box Company.

Similarly, the Virgin Management Christmas Market featured Pioneers businesses Candy Baker and Yours Sustainably, as well as ace Virgin Startup loan recipients Lexie Sport andCelebrate. They also had a great afternoon of mingling and networking and were well refreshed with mince pies and mulled wine.

Both days were a great success with the businesses seeing brisk sales and enjoying the opportunity to meet and chat with Virgin staff.

However, it's not all about sales; the opportunity to meet other businesses, swap stories and learn from each other is an invaluable one too. “I had a great time and enjoyed meeting lots of new people, including the other stall holders who had some inspiring stories about how they kick started their businesses,” said Charlotte from Oak’s Hampers.

We’re extremely proud of our Pioneers – we’ve seen many of them grow from startups into bigger businesses that are changing the world around us, and forging exciting new paths. And it’s also amazing to see how far the Virgin Startup businesses have come within a year of the initiative starting, and to get to hear their stories.