Cornwall Entrepreneur Takes Top National Honour: Could This Change How Schools Support Children?

Exciting Teacher Founder Wins Major UK Award

Channon Gray, the founder of Cornwall based education resource company Exciting Teacher, has been named Great British Young Entrepreneur of the Year at the Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards.

The awards, now in their 13th year and often described as “The Grammys for Entrepreneurship”, spotlight individuals shaping the future of the UK economy. Channon’s win recognises her work in supporting children’s mental health through accessible resources for teachers, parents and carers.

“To win a GBEA award is monumental in this journey and I still cannot believe it! It’s a huge recognition of the Exciting Teacher mission to give Primary School Teachers access to the tools needed to support children’s emotional needs in busy classrooms…” said Channon Gray.

She added that continuing to prioritise emotional literacy and emotional regulation skills for children is essential, reflecting on her own experience retraining in mental health after teaching.

Recognition for Work Across Cornwall and Beyond

Channon was also listed on the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce 30 Under 30 for 2025 for her support to schools across Cornwall. Her work includes grab-and-go resources, training and simple classroom strategies aimed at improving mental health and emotional literacy.

Looking ahead to 2026, Channon plans to support Cornwall’s schools more closely while releasing six children’s picture books, The Scribbles Crew, focused on emotions such as confidence, anger, worry and sadness. The books are due for publication in February 2026.

Awards Ceremony at Grosvenor House

The ceremony took place on 17th November 2025 at Grosvenor House in London, bringing together business leaders and innovators from across the UK.

Francesca James, founder of the awards, said: “Our winners embody the very best of British enterprise, ambitious, resilient and relentlessly innovative.”

Conrad Ford, Chief Product Officer at Allica Bank, added: “What stands out this year is the optimism and ambition that continue to define the UK’s established business community.”

This year’s overall winners were Simmy and Jhai Dhillon of Simmer Eats.

Mental Health in Schools at the Heart of the Win

Exciting Teacher was recognised for its commitment to improving children’s mental health and emotional literacy, especially as teachers currently receive no formal training in supporting emotional needs.

The release highlights that 1 in 5 children in England aged 8 to 16 were thought to have a probable mental health difficulty according to NHS England in 2023, with the figure likely now higher.

Channon’s resources address areas including Emotionally Based School Avoidance, emotional regulation and understanding emotions. Her work aims to reduce mental health stigma and provide practical tools that can be used immediately by teachers, parents and carers.

Channon expressed her gratitude to customers, partners and supporters, noting that this award fuels her ambition to continue expanding Exciting Teacher’s global impact.

Find Out More

For more information about the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, visit the Great British Entrepreneur Awards website.

To learn more about Exciting Teacher, visit the Exciting Teacher hub or find them on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok at @excitingteacher.

For updates on The Scribbles Crew book series, follow @TheScribblesCrew on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and TikTok.