Today we reveal the winner of our Achievement Award at the Examiner Community Awards.

This will be the final award presented at next Thursday’s glittering event at the Galpharm Stadium and will go to serial entrepreneur and philanthropist Graham Leslie.

CUMMINS Turbo Technologies is a global market leader in turbochargers founded as Holset Engineering in Huddersfield in 1952.

We are proud to continue our support of The Examiner Community Awards to celebrate the contributions made by volunteers and recognise the difference this can make to the lives of people who live in and around Huddersfield.

Cummins employees also serve our local communities by volunteering time and talent to help address community needs.

Our aim this year is to provide over 2,600 hours of voluntary time including supporting community partners such as Stirley Farm, Safe Anchor Trust, Denby Dale Parish Trust and Batley Girls School.

Congratulations to all the nominees and to Graham Leslie, winner of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

GRAHAM Leslie just can’t stop being an entrepreneur – and along the way he’s help countless people into work and raised tens of thousands of pounds for charity.

He’s now at an age when most people are thinking of retiring – especially if they have made millions of pounds from a highly successful business career.

But not 65-year-old Graham who is always seeking another challenge and still believes the next one will be his ultimate success story.

“The greatest achievement may yet be to come,’’ he said. “I like to strive.’’

Since selling his Galpharm pharmaceutical company in a multi-million pound deal in 2008 he has acquired, invested or created other companies which have generated some £33m in sales in just two years.

He remains chairman of Babyway International Limited based in Dodworth near Barnsley which he set up four years ago.

And he’s heavily involved with Huddersfield University as a Visiting Professor of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship – but he’s far more than a visitor.

He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration and wants to attract businesses into the university’s new Enterprise and Innovation Centre where they can use the university’s extensive research facilities and expensive high technology equipment to get themselves on a solid footing before expanding and moving elsewhere within Kirklees to boost local employment and the local economy.

Graham’s latest venture is called One Degree Connect in which he and invited investors will plough money into the most innovative ideas.

But he’s a businessman and sees this as a commercial venture.

“I wanted to form a Yorkshire business academy to help with guidance, advice and mentoring young businesses,’’ he said. “Around 70% of small and medium sized enterprises fail within the first three years. After these years it’s a massive leap to the next stage and often they just can’t get the investment, yet their continued success and growth is vital to Britain’s economy.

“I want to ‘spin’ companies into the university to form that bridge between industry and universities and Huddersfield will be the first of its kind in Europe, let alone the UK.’’

One success story already is Axiom Forensic Science Company – a joint venture with the university which is bringing law enforcers from other parts of the world to Huddersfield for world-class forensic science training at the university. It’s showing what the new Enterprise and Innovation Centre will be able to do in the future.

Graham added: “I personally get a great thrill out of helping people to achieve their goals. It’s actually quite selfish. I get a fix out of it.’’

So what drives him on when he can live in stress-free luxury?

“When I sold Galpharm International one senior politician said to me ‘you’ve done it in pharmaceuticals and that’s all you’re known for.’

“This was like a red rag to a bull so I started to invest in other businesses.’’

Some were in trouble and making losses yet are now making profits. One was Crest Medical in Warrington that was losing £3m a year, but that’s now been turned around and has made its first profit.

Another one, Crest Logistics, was formed in January 2010 to distribute healthcare products and its first order generated £9.8m.

And Graham let slip that he’ll be forming three more companies in the coming weeks.

He’s a big believer in on-the-job training and offers university students placements in some of the businesses. He’s a big fan of the free-thinking spirit they can bring to the commercial world.

“Apprenticeships, work placements and a year out from university working are all essential,’’ he said. “And it’s vital these days like never before that universities train people in the skills that employers want and need. These skills must be relevant to the world of work.’’

Graham wanted to train as a dress designer and at the age of 14 pretended to be 16 to get a place at Middlesbrough Art College but three weeks into his course a tutor took him to one side and told him he couldn’t draw. He was shocked, but the kindness shown by the teacher to help him over the crushing disappointment stuck with him and that’s why he’s keen to mentor others.

He began working life as a hairdresser believing that no-one would ever standardise a haircut and so jobs would always be there and in 1964 became the country’s top young stylist but was poached by Schwarzkopf to demonstrate their products and then became a rep for the company.

“I told my mum I was a rep and she burst into tears,’’ said Graham. “She said all salesmen were liars, cheats and conmen and it wouldn’t do me any good.’’

But he then switched to a pharmaceutical firm and found his philanthropic side. The company sold expensive medicines but Graham was eager to help people who couldn’t afford them and so came up with a business model to help them. It was rejected and Graham set up his own company in not much more than a hut on Firth Street near Huddersfield town centre.

He wanted several high profile names for the company – and Britpharm was one of them – but he was turned down by the Pharmaceutical Society which complained it made his company sound bigger than it was. In desperation, he ended up using his initials for Graham Andrew Leslie and at the 17th attempt he managed to register a name – Galpharm.

And it has come full circle with Graham at the university’s business and enterprise bases on Firth Street.

So although Graham will be awarded this year’s trophy for Achievement, there is still more of the story to unfold.