From Kitchen Table to National Finalist: Why Weebert’s World is Proof It’s Never Too Late to Start
If you’d told me two years ago that I’d be a finalist in the Soldiering On Awards 2025, sitting alongside some of the most inspiring entrepreneurs and veterans in the UK, I would have laughed in disbelief.
And yet, here I am.
Weebert’s World ®️ began in the most unlikely of places: my kitchen table. My husband Andy, a veteran with 27 years in the Army followed by 16 in civil aviation, began creating scrap-built robots as a way to support his mental health. These quirky little characters, built from Cold War spy cameras, opera glasses, and aircraft parts, soon filled our home with personality.
One day, I looked at one of those little robots and began writing. That robot became Weebert, a curious, imaginative character who turns boredom into adventure. From that first story, a whole world unfolded.
But here’s the thing: I had no business background. I was 60, I’d spent my life as an Army wife, a mother, a grandmother, and working in the public sector. I’d never run a company, pitched to investors, or imagined myself as a founder.
And yet, with encouragement, resilience, and a whole lot of trial and error, Weebert’s World has grown into a children’s brand that blends imaginative storytelling with early STEM learning. We’ve now published books, run school workshops, created stop-motion animations, and built a growing YouTube presence.
This recognition as a finalist for the Business Start-Up Award, in partnership with GKN Aerospace, feels like validation that starting from scratch is not just possible, but powerful.
It hasn’t all been easy. There have been doubts, long nights, and more than a few tears. But every time I see a child’s face light up at a Weebert story, or a teacher say our visit was, “magical, educational and motivational” I know it’s worth it.
Being named a finalist has made me reflect on what this journey has taught me, lessons I think might help others too:
I started at 60. That’s not a setback, it’s a strength. Life gives you experience, resilience, and perspective. If you’ve got an idea, don’t let age stop you.
I didn’t know how to build a business, but I knew how to ask questions and learn. Every connection, every bit of advice, every mistake was part of the process.
From the ex-forces enterprise community to teachers, parents, and investors cheering us on, we wouldn’t be here without people who believe in us.
Weebert’s World isn’t just about robots. It’s about giving children permission to imagine, create, and play, and reminding adults that imagination belongs to them too.
In October, we’ll attend the Soldiering On Awards ceremony, hosted by Jeremy Vine. It feels full circle, as Jeremy once interviewed us for his show, an interview that led to Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones stocking five of Andy’s scrap-built Berts in his White City store.
We may have started small, but Weebert’s World is growing into something I believe can stand among the very best children’s brands in the world.
And if you’re reading this, perhaps wondering if it’s too late, too risky, or too far-fetched to follow your own idea, let me say this: if I can do it, you can too.
✨ Cheer us on at the finals in October.
✨ Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see Weebert’s adventures come alive.
✨ Or sign up for our newsletter to follow the journey behind the scenes.
Because the world doesn’t just need more businesses. It needs more stories, more imagination, and more people willing to begin.
with love
Lotty x
