A BUSINESS owner and wellbeing coach who has made the top 50 list of BAME entrepreneurs 2020 is bringing his firm home to Bolton.

Lee Chambers is the owner of Essentialise, a firm which provides wellbeing coaching to companies, currently based in Preston.

But he began his first business, PhenomGames, from his parents’ house in Bromley Cross during the financial crash in 2008, and later sold the business for a six-figure sum.

Now he is expanding Essentialise in order to serve more clients across Greater Manchester by opening up a second office on Chorley New Road.

Lee said: “Being from Bolton it’s really important for me to make this return home.

“I grew up in Halliwell and this office is only round the corner from there.

“This is giving me a chance to help the people who helped me growing up, it’s really important to give back.

“During Covid it feels like Bolton’s been put in the naughty corner, we’ve been labelled as the one of the worst places in the country.

“But I want to show just how great we are and how gritty we can be.

“The sessions I run can be quite serious as we cover issues surrounding mental health.

“As a Boltonian I will always bring a sense of humour to them and deliver the sessions with a smile.”

The plan is to utilise the Bolton office for the wellbeing-in-the-workplace sessions while the Preston office will be more for one-to-one coaching.

In October, Lee was named in TechRound’s BAME 50 Entrepreneurs Under 50, alongside the founders of household brands including Missguided and Zoom.

Lee said: “I was in shock when I found out, it was esteemed company for little old me from Bolton.

“Now it’s sunk in I feel really honoured to be listed. But I wouldn’t be on that list it wasn’t for all the people in Bolton who helped me get to that point. It means a lot to be recognised.”

Lee is also the director of Wellbeing Lancashire, an alliance of wellbeing providers who want to help businesses get back onto their feet while ensuring their workers remain happy and healthy.

As the UK enters its second lockdown, Lee hopes that people will take the necessary steps to look after their wellbeing.

He added: “This lockdown will be very different, last time everything was getting lighter and brighter so we had something to look forward to.

“We need to stay positive and not let the winter get us down. I’ve done a lot of research into Scandinavian way of living - they are some of the happiest people yet their winters are much harsher.

“This year we won’t have our usual anchors such as Christmas parties, but there’s no reason not to wrap up warm and feel the cold air on your face, or snuggle up with a hot chocolate.

“It’s important to find the balance, and if we can embrace winter we will feel so much happier.”