Liverpool-born entrepreneur Sir Peter Rigby has officially opened the Sir Peter Rigby Centre for Enterprise at The University of Liverpool, for which he has gifted £1M funding from his Charitable Trust.
The Centre will transform student employability, raising the level of enterprise education and entrepreneurial skills development across the University community and Liverpool City Region with the aim of reaching 50,000 people during its 3-year pilot.
At the event, Sir Peter took part in an in-depth discussion with ITV’s Ann O’Connor where he discussed his life and career, his vision for the Centre and his reasons for choosing the University of Liverpool as his partner. The event also included tours of the new Centre.
Sir Peter Rigby is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the UK today. As founder and Chairman of the Rigby Group, he has created and grown an international business with operations across the technology, aviation, hotel, real estate, and finance sectors. One of the country’s largest privately owned business groups, the Rigby Group has a turnover of £4bn.
Professor Tim Jones, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Liverpool said: “We are incredibly grateful to Sir Peter for his generous gift to the University – and for the time and expertise he so willingly shares with us in his role as our Honorary President for Enterprise. It is greatly appreciated.
“We are in no doubt that the new Sir Peter Rigby Centre for Enterprise will be transformative.
“I am passionate about the role that entrepreneurship can and must play here at the University of Liverpool – for the benefit of our students and staff as well as for the regional and UK economy.”
Sir Peter Rigby said: “This initiative represents a vital step towards equipping young people and the broader community with the entrepreneurial skills and digital expertise needed to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving economy.
As someone who has always believed in the power of innovation and education, I am proud to contribute to a Centre that will not only inspire the next generation of business leaders but also provide tangible opportunities for those from all backgrounds to succeed.
I look forward to seeing the transformative impact this Centre will have on the students, staff, and the entire Merseyside region over the coming years.”
Enterprise student Chelsea, co-founder of a start-up business offering creative events for the Liverpool community said: “Having this enterprise hub on campus will really help students because it offers immediate access to useful networks as well as practical advice and support. It can help students at every stage of their enterprise journey.”
The University’s recently published economic and wider impacts report demonstrated that the University’s activities in 2022/23 alone contributed an estimated £1.2 billion and nearly 16,000 jobs to the Liverpool City Region.