A FORMER Budehaven School pupil has been named as the 'Business Personality of the Year' at a recent awards ceremony.

The Post previously reported that Paul Bate, 36, was shortlisted in the Sussex Business Matters Awards.

Paul grew up in Week St Mary, and attended Budehaven Community School completing his GCSEs and A-levels there.

He now lives in Sussex with his wife and two children, where he runs his own marketing firm specialising in helping people in the beauty industry grow their own businesses and become experts in their respective niches.

On July 3, he was crowned 'Business Personality of the Year' at the Hilton London Gatwick Hotel.

Around 300 guests attended the ceremony, which was hosted by BBC One Show and Channel 5 presenter Nick Wallis.

In Paul's fiercely competitive category he was up against many other high profile business personalities across the Sussex region, including the manager of the London Gatwick Hilton Hotel, where the actual awards were being held on the night.

The judges coming to a unanimous decision, stating: "Paul's uniqueness and business personality shone through. Showing clear entrepreneurial talent from the age of 10 when he began selling lemonade at the local village green leading on to him being able to purchase his first car at the age of 17 at the expense of a packet of crisps and a can of coke.

For the full report, and a round-up of the area news and sport, see this week's edition of the Post.