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THE BIG BLACK BOOK
STEVE T. JACKSON OBE FOUNDER OF RECYCLING LIVES
Steve was born in the city of Preston. Educated at Hutton Grammar, he left school at just 16 to take up his first full-time position within his father’s scrap metal company, where he gained a solid grounding in business sense and an ability to communicate well with a broad range of people. In 1995, Steve left his father’s business and launched his own Internet Service Provider and the first commercial UK domain name broker. His passion for personal vehicle registrations led him to incorporate New Reg Limited in 1996 and launch NewReg.com, which was the first online personalised registration company and one of the very first eCommerce sites in the UK. By the end of 1999, Steve was back in business with his Father, together forming Preston Recycling Limited. For the next two years he took advantage of the dot-com boom and in 2002, he acquired a major share in Preston North End FC. He was instrumental in the reorganisation and streamlining of the club and was appointed CEO by the board. During his tenure, the club reached the championship play-off finals. However, in late 2005, Steve had been introduced to Terry Waite CBE, a meeting that was to change the course of his thinking forever. He quickly became involved in helping the homeless and in 2006 he was determined to use his skills and experience to help vulnerable people to change their lives. Steve resigned his position as CEO of Preston North End PLC. Steve began to work on a new kind of social impact project called Recycling Lives, which he describes as a “forth-sector model” that combines business acumen with social objectives to help disadvantaged people. Recycling Lives provides rehabilitation, temporary accommodation, training, education and work experience opportunities, and supports people to find permanent work and a home of their own. in 2016, Recycling Lives group turns over in excess of £35million, employs over 240 people, operates eight prison academies and a charity food redistribution facility, which feeds thousands of people every week. Steve insists that Recycling Lives always generates social value equal to or greater than the company’s EBITDA (Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization). He has been recognised for his ability to devise and deliver, commercially viable enterprises with social and environmental benefits, including Honorary Fellow of UCLAN for his commitment to entrepreneurialism, twice winner of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development and in the 2013 New Year Honours List, Steve was awarded an OBE and more recently, in 2016 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for Lancashire. THE INFLUENCERS