Chris Ingram
The Woking YMCA would like to announce our partnership with Chris Ingram, internationally renowned business man, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Chris has graciously agreed to become a patron of the Woking YMCA, championing and protecting our cause to help the young people of our area.
Chris is no stranger to Woking YMCAs Ypod Centre after being honoured for his work in Woking community at their VIP first anniversary meal.
Chris spent the first 40 years of his business life in the media communications and marketing industry. He is regarded as the inventor of the modern media agency, having started The Media Department (TMD) in 1972 and Chris Ingram Associates (CIA) in 1976, which he built into an international, publicly-quoted business (Tempus Group). The business was sold to WPP in 2001 for £430 million and is now Mediadge: CIA.
Under the name Ingram Enterprise, he now helps companies build their businesses in the media; communications and sport & leisure sectors (his primary aim is to build tangible value for shareholders). Chris Ingram’s media know how encourages the media communication that we promote among the young people. Extra curricula activities in our recording studio, community radio and information media development are all day to day activities in the Ypod. Not to mention the platform the Woking YMCA provides to local bands to demonstrate their emerging talent. Chris Ingram with Woking YMCA’s patron and friend Paul Weller, possess the experience and inspiration that our young people need.
Although Chris Ingram has no intentions on releasing a new album like our other successful partner Paul Weller, but he has certainly starred with numerous international leadership achievements. In 2000, Chris was voted UK Business to Business Entrepreneur of the Year in Ernst & Young’s awards, having earlier been London Entrepreneur of the Year. In July 2007 Chris was made an Honorary Fellow of London Business School. He was Deputy Chairman of London Business School’s Foundation for Entrepreneurial Management until 2007 and from 2002-8 was Chairman of the Centre for Creative Business, a joint venture between London Business School and the University of the Arts, London to help principals in the creative industries improve their general business skills.
Chris Ingram’s example champions the Woking YMCA’s Nhance and education programmes, and our work with Connexions, LSC and community learning projects. The Nhance project we run, sponsored by Connexions, is a creative and innovative programme working young people on the verge of school exclusion/ Nhance is designed to support and equip young people (within relational and group work) to re-engage in education through a programme that encourages a holistic approach to growth in mind, body and spirit. Our partnership with Connexions also provides advisers who are based at the YMCA offer young people information, advice and guidance.
Chris’s passion is football and he is owner of Woking Football Club, since acquiring the Club in 2002 and in 2008 became a majority shareholder of a fast-growing 5-a-side football business, Azzurri. Chris Ingram’s high profile work in Sport enhances the Woking YMCA plans for a sports hall (pending a £2.6million bid). Our plans for a second floor a multi-purpose sports hall will be suitable for a variety of classes and groups will enable us to develop a full programme of activities (such as circuits, aerobics, yoga, step, pilates, martial arts, conditioning) which will not only generate a profit, but extend our services and reach further into the community, establish the YMCAs name and reputation in Woking for developing people body, mind and spirit.
Chris Ingram is a keen collector of Modern British art and sculpture and this year has put his collection under long-term loan with The Lightbox, Woking’s new award-winning museum and gallery.
He is a Vice President of Shelter, the housing charity. We at the Woking YMCA have much to glean from Chris Ingram’s efforts to house the homeless. We too have a homeless project in the pipeline, with WBC and Greenoaks housing association a local gold award winning housing association.. Chris’s family charity, The Ingram Trust, supports approximately two dozen charities, both national and international, as well as local ones in Surrey.
Chris Ingram expertise brings a boldness and courage to the Woking YMCA team. Our Endeavour’s to meet Woking’s marginalised young people seems that much more possible with our partnership with Chris Ingram. His consistent long-term success in building sustainable and innovative projects bring the calibre the Woking YMCA need to go to the next level.
Thank you Chris for being our patron and helping us give Woking’s young people a hope and a future!
Chris Ingram writes monthly business and marketing columns for Business XL and Marketing Week respectively.
