From Junior Apprentice to medicinal cannabis entrepreneur
At just 17 years old, Arjun Rajyagor was told by Lord Alan Sugar he had "natural business flair combined with intelligence" and could be "the best at whatever he wants to do".The Maths whizz-kid from Essex had been awarded £25,000 for winning the first series of the BBC's Junior Apprentice in 2010.Now 32, he has not disappointed, having found success with his medicinal cannabis business.He cares for his chronically ill mother and the family explored it as a treatment when it was legalised in 2018.Arjun said Lord Sugar still showed interest in his life and career."Lord Sugar's always there should I ever need business advice or I want to make a call to understand how something works."It's always nice to know that I've got him in my corner.
From 1 November 2018, specialist hospital doctors have been able to prescribe medicinal cannabis products in a limited number of circumstances where other medicines have failed.Treatments can be prescribed in cases including severe and rare forms of epilepsy in children, adults with vomiting or nausea caused by chemotherapy, and adults with muscle stiffness and spasms caused by multiple sclerosis.Approved products include Epidyolex, which is a highly purified liquid containing cannabidiol (CBD).It does not get patients high because it does not contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).Arjun's business, which was incorporated in 2023, is known as a software as a service (SaaS) platform.It offers doctors an internet cloud they can use to speed up the prescription process.Arjun, from South Ockendon, says 10,000 prescriptions go through his platform each month.He says growing up in his parents' post office taught him about the "balance" in business, but he said his mother's health was the reason for his latest venture.He told the BBC: "My mum (Usha) is not well, she's been bedridden for the last 15 years or so and is a chronic pain patient, and as a primary carer, I was kind of looking for something to help her, and when medicinal cannabis was legalised in 2018, it was something we decided to explore, because we tried everything else, and there were no other options available to us really."
During the Junior Apprentice series, Arjun wore a cupcake outfit for eight hours during a selling task."You get dropped into some of the most complicated, but most interesting problem spaces and told to sink or swim. Which I guess is a good representation of what life can be like at times," he explained."It did teach me that when it comes to business, there is nothing that is below your pay grade."In the final task he had to market a bottle of water.He was already running a computer repair business from home when he was "hired" by Lord Sugar.He recalls being "recognised on the street" and being asked for pictures afterwards."I remember Year 7 students who'd just come in [to school] - kind of in awe looking at me and I was a really weird."
Junior Apprentice ran for three seasons before being axed in 2012, but Arjun says he still occasionally touches base with his fellow candidates via a WhatsApp group."I'll check on everyone at least once a year to check what they're up to."
Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
'Beautiful daughter' was 'dismissed multiple times' by doctors before her death
The family of "beautiful" and "caring" Bethan Amy James, 21, claim that medics they encountered before their daughter's tragic death failed to respond to the gravity of her condition and repeatedly dismissed her symptoms A "beautiful" and "caring" daughter was "dismissed" countless times by doctors before she died in hospital, an inquest has heard. Bethan Amy James, 21, the daughter of former England cricketer Steve James, was first admitted to hospital on February 8, 2020, and died the following day. Her sports journalist dad was covering Wales' Six Nations match in Ireland when his daughter was taken seriously ill. Weather delays prevented him from flying home in time to say his last goodbye. At Pontryppid Coroner's Court Tuesday, an inquest heard how Bethan had presented to hospital on a number of occasions before February 8. Speaking at court, her mum Jane James claimed she had been "dismissed" by several members of staff. She believes her "caring and beautiful" daughter's "life could have been saved" had someone realised the seriousness of her condition. Bethan - who was diagnosed with Crohn's in 2019 aged just 20 years old - had been studying journalism at the University of South Wales and had hoped of being a voice for people with the illness. She had even started a blog documenting her experiences of the condition, and had been involved in a BBC documentary with Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden, who also has Crohn's. Paying tribute to her daughter Mrs James said: 'As a person she never moaned, she never made a fuss. She was very caring. She was just beautiful. She put people before herself. She was more interested in other people and their stories and I think that's why she would have made a brilliant journalist.' Speaking about the heartbreaking events leading up to her death, Mrs James recalled how her daughter first began complaining of tiredness, and had shortness of breath, with Bethan booking an emergency GP appointment for January 27. She returned to University Hospital Wales in Cardiff on multiple occasions, but said the doctors they encountered repeatedly dismissed her despite her GP raising an urgent referral. Over the following days, Bethan's symptoms worsened, and she had also developed numbness and issues with her right leg. During one of the encounters with a consultant, Mrs James said the doctor was "very, very dismissive", having said: "You again! You were here on Sunday. Mrs James claims that it took threats to contact health board seniors before a follow-up appointment was arranged. This was despite Bethan being barely able to walk out of the hospital. On Saturday, February 8 - with Bethan bed-bound - the family called an ambulance and paramedics arrived, but Mrs James said there was no "rush" to get her daughter to the hospital. Bethan was still classified as not "unwell enough" and had to wait outside the hospital for a bed, Mrs James added. All the while this was ongoing Mrs James said her daughter was awake, could 'hardly breathe' and was 'so scared'. After some time Mrs James said an anaesthetist came down and Bethan was put to sleep. Mrs James said she felt that with that her daughter's body lost its ability to fight. She said she was asked to leave the room at around 9.25pm before she was told that her daughter had a cardiac arrest a short time later. Mrs James recalled being told that medics were working on her daughter and asked if she wanted to be with Bethan as she passed away. 'As soon as I walked in, I knew she was dead,' Mrs James said. She commented that a sepsis protocol should have been put in place early on and that her daughter 'should have had the right care straight away'. She added: 'It's heartbreaking as a mum to know that her life could have been saved. They didn't know what they were doing.' The inquest continues.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
190,000 warned they could fall ill on Sunday following multiple outbreaks
Mass events on Sunday could see people fall ill unless they take precautions, the UKHSA has warned People planning on attending events this weekend have been warned to avoid a nasty parasitic infection that causes serious stomach upset - vomiting and diarrhoea. 190,000 people are expected to visit farms on Sunday for the UK's Open Farm Sunday event and the UKLHSA says there is a risk of infection. Hundreds of people have fallen ill with cryptosporidium after 17 outbreaks last year and another that saw dozens fall ill in Wales earlier this year. Crypto causes painful stomach cramps as well as vomiting and diarrhoea, and is spread through contact with animals or by touching surfaces that have animal faeces on them. Everyone is at risk, but the bug is particularly bad for pregnant women, young people, the elderly and anyone who is already ill with a suppressed immune system. Public Health Wales say 89 people have so far fallen ill in one outbreak - linked to visiting Cowbridge Farm Shop at Marlborough Grange Farm in Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan . The BBC says Emily Fryer's six-year-old son Isaac was hospitalised after falling ill following a visit to a farm in Worcestershire last year. She said: "He didn't eat or drink for about five days. He just slept all the time. His sugars were dangerously low and they admitted him. Obviously, I was really worried then. Because he is autistic and non-verbal, we didn't really know how we could help him." According to the BBC, o n one farm in Wales, linked to a number of outbreaks, inspectors found sick animals kept on display and a lack of handwashing facilities, risk assessments and staff training. Another farm failed to implement recommendations from a previous inspection, which led to another outbreak of cryptosporidiosis, while third farm, due to host a school visit a few days after inspection, was found to be failing. Both Public Health Wales and the UK Health Security Agency have warned the estimated 190,000 visitors who will be visiting the 250 farms taking part in Open Farm Sunday this weekend to make sure they take basic hygiene measures - including thoroughly washing hands . Jo Hatton, an education specialist for organisers of the open farm event LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming ), said: "We are supporting farmers to open their farms and with their risk assessments. We are on the phone with farmers checking in with them throughout the planning process and helping them to understand how to ensure that that visit goes smoothly and everyone goes home happy and healthy." The National Farmers' Union (NFU) said that the health and safety of farm visitors was "taken extremely seriously". To keep yourself safe from Cryptosporidium during a farm visit in the UK, follow these key precautions: 1. Hand Hygiene Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after: Touching animals or their surroundings Handling boots, clothing, or equipment used on the farm Before eating, drinking, or smoking After using the toilet Avoid using alcohol-based hand sanitisers alone – they are not effective against Cryptosporidium. 2. Avoid Hand-to-Mouth Contact Do not eat, drink, smoke, or put fingers in your mouth while on the farm, especially in animal areas. 3. Supervise Children Closely Ensure young children are kept under close watch. Help them wash their hands properly, especially after touching animals or equipment and before eating. 4. Use Designated Eating Areas Only eat and drink in areas specifically set aside for food, away from animal contact zones. 5. Wear Appropriate Clothing Wear waterproof boots and clothes suitable for a farm environment. Remove and clean clothing and footwear after the visit to avoid bringing contamination home. 6. Stay Clear of Sick Animals Avoid touching any animals that appear unwell, as they may be more likely to carry the parasite. 7. Report Illness If you or a family member develops diarrhoea within a few days after visiting a farm, especially if it persists, seek medical advice and mention the farm visit.
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Swapped at birth: Why dad never looked like his parents
Matthew's dad had brown eyes and black hair. His grandparents had piercing blue was a running joke in his family that "dad looked nothing like his parents", the teacher from southern England turned out there was a very good reason for father had been swapped at birth in hospital nearly 80 years ago. He died late last year before learning the truth of his family - not his real name - contacted the BBC after we reported on the case of Susan, who received compensation from an NHS trust after a home DNA test revealed she had been accidentally switched for another baby in the News is now aware of five cases of babies swapped by mistake in maternity wards from the late 1940s to the say they expect more people to come forward driven by the increase in cheap genetic testing. 'The old joke might be true after all' During the pandemic, Matthew started looking for answers to niggling questions about his family history. He sent off a saliva sample in the post to be genealogy company entered his record into its vast online database, allowing him to view other users whose DNA closely matched his own."Half of the names I'd just never heard of," he says. "I thought, 'That's weird', and called my wife to tell her the old family joke might be true after all."Matthew then asked his dad to submit his own DNA sample, which confirmed he was even more closely related to the same group of mysterious family started exchanging messages with two women who the site suggested were his father's cousins. All were confused about how they could possibly be together, they eventually tracked down birth records from 1946, months after the end of World War documents showed that one day after his father was apparently born, another baby boy had been registered at the same hospital in east boy had the same relatively unusual surname that appeared on the mystery branch of the family tree, a link later confirmed by birth certificates obtained by was a lightbulb moment."I realised straight away what must have happened," he says. "The only explanation that made sense was that both babies got muddled up in hospital."Matthew and the two women managed to construct a brand new family tree based on all of his DNA matches."I love a puzzle and I love understanding the past," he says. "I'm quite obsessive anyway, so I got into trying to reverse engineer what had happened." An era before wristbands Before World War Two, most babies in the UK were born at home, or in nursing homes, attended by midwives and the family started to change as the country prepared for the launch of the NHS in 1948, and very gradually, more babies were delivered in hospital, where newborns were typically removed for periods to be cared for in nurseries."The baby would be taken away between feeds so that the mother could rest, and the baby could be watched by either a nursery nurse or midwife," says Terri Coates, a retired lecturer in midwifery, and former clinical adviser on BBC series Call The Midwife."It may sound paternalistic, but midwives believed they were looking after mums and babies incredibly well."It was common for new mothers to be kept in hospital for between five and seven days, far longer than identify newborns in the nursery, a card would be tied to the end of the cot with the baby's name, mother's name, the date and time of birth, and the baby's weight."Where cots rather than babies were labelled, accidents could easily happen", says Ms Coates, who trained as a nurse herself in the 1970s and a midwife in 1981."If there were two or more members of staff in the nursery feeding babies, for example, a baby could easily be put down in the wrong cot."By 1956, hospital births were becoming more common, and midwifery textbooks were recommending that a "wrist name-tape" or "string of lettered china beads" should be attached directly to the newborn.A decade later, by the mid-1960s, it was rare for babies to be removed from the delivery room without being individually labelled. Stories of babies being accidentally switched in hospital were very rare at the time, though more are now coming to light thanks to the boom in genetic testing and ancestry day after Jan Daly was born at a hospital in north London in 1951, her mother immediately complained that the baby she had been given was not hers."She was really stressed and crying, but the nurses assured her she was wrong and the doctor was called in to try to calm her," Jan staff only backed down when her mum told them she'd had a fast, unassisted delivery, and pointed out the clear forceps marks on the baby's head"I feel for the other mother who had been happily feeding me for two days and then had to give up one baby for another," she says."There was never any apology, it was just 'one of those silly errors', but the trauma affected my mother for a long time." Never finding out Matthew's father, an insurance agent from the Home Counties, was a keen amateur cyclist who spent his life following the local racing lived alone in retirement and over the last decade his health had been deteriorating. Matthew thought long and hard about telling him the truth about his family history but, in the end, decided against it. "I just felt my dad doesn't need this," he says. "He had lived 78 years in a type of ignorance, so it didn't feel right to share it with him."Matthew's father died last year without ever knowing he'd been celebrating his birthday a day early for the past eight then, Matthew has driven to the West Country to meet his dad's genetic first cousin and her daughter for all got on well, he says, sharing old photos and "filling in missing bits of family history".But Matthew has decided not to contact the man his father must have been swapped with as a baby, or his children – in part because they have not taken DNA tests themselves."If you do a test by sending your saliva off, then there's an implicit understanding that you might find something that's a bit of a surprise," Matthew says."Whereas with people who haven't, I'm still not sure if it's the right thing to reach out to them - I just don't think it's right to drop that bombshell."
