Turtle Pack wins pitch at Buckingham Palace

Turtle Pack, a children's swimming aid endorsed by Sir Richard Branson, has been selected to participate in the Pitch@Palace 10.0 final, an initiative founded by the Duke of York to support the work of entrepreneurs.

Livingston-based entrepreneur Michael Harkins will showcase his swimming aid at the Pitch@Palace final in November. Picture: contributed

After securing a top 12 spot at the programme’s boot camp last week, Livingston-based Turtle Pack founder and chief executive Michael Harkins will hold a three-minute pitch at Buckingham Palace on 8 November.

The swimming aid allows children to swim without arm restrictions and is designed to make learning to swim “faster, more effective and more enjoyable”.

Harkins said it will be “a huge privilege and honour” to showcase his work at the final.

He said: “Firstly it was amazing to secure both the judges vote and public vote to win the Pitch@Palace event in Edinburgh. To then go onto the bootcamp and secure a top twelve place is simply incredible.

“This competition has offered the highest calibre of businesses I have ever been up against and any one of the top 42 could have been selected for the top twelve spot. I am delighted Turtle Pack has come this far and it will be a huge privilege and honour to showcase Turtle Pack in front of hundreds of influential business people at Buckingham Palace.”

Turtle Pack recently received the personal endorsement from business tycoon, Sir Richard Branson,

who said: “Love the Turtle Pack idea, swimming aids to help make learning to swim fun for kids

- our grandchildren are loving them.”