From Eight Students in a Hall to Sponsoring England Hockey: Our Biggest Bet Yet
Six years ago, I stood in a small hall in Glanmire, County Cork, teaching maths to just eight students.
This weekend, Breakthrough Maths sponsored one of the biggest youth sporting events in England.
Looking back, it’s hard to believe how much has changed.
The question that kept running through my head all weekend was simple:
Is this the breakthrough that helps us crack the UK, or have we just spent months of work and a lot of money on a gamble?
Growing Breakthrough Maths Beyond Ireland
When I started teaching, I wasn’t thinking about expanding internationally.
I simply wanted to help students enjoy maths more and achieve better results.
Fast forward a few years, and Breakthrough Maths now teaches thousands of students across Ireland through live online classes covering Primary School, Junior Cert and Leaving Cert.
Expanding into the UK feels like the natural next step.
But it’s also one of the biggest challenges we’ve ever taken on.
Rather than relying purely on digital advertising, we wanted to meet families face-to-face.
That’s why we became sponsors of an England Hockey event in Nottingham.
The Reality of Growing a Business
People often see the polished Instagram posts afterwards.
They don’t see the logistics.
Getting hundreds of branded bags from Ireland into England turned into an absolute mission. We were burned before when going to a Britain GAA event in Manchester, so I knew it wasn’t going to be easy.
Boxes had to be shipped to a DPD depot.
Collection points changed.
Nothing felt straightforward.
When you’re growing a business internationally, even getting your merchandise into the right place can become an adventure.
Thankfully, after a nervous drive across Nottingham, every single box was waiting for us in what I now consider the best corner shop in all of Nottingham: Leengate News.
Small victory.
Huge relief.
Sometimes Things Don’t Go to Plan
Our first morning didn’t exactly inspire confidence.
We arrived…
And nobody seemed to know where the event setup was.
For a few moments we genuinely wondered if we’d somehow turned up on the wrong day.
Eventually the marquees appeared.
The stands went up.
The crowds started arriving.
Ar ais arís.
The Biggest Lesson? People Buy People.
One thing became obvious almost immediately.
Nearly every parent we spoke to either:
- already had a maths tutor,
- was looking for one,
- or knew someone who needed help.
That was incredibly reassuring.
It reminded me that education is built on trust. Parents aren’t just buying maths lessons. They’re trusting someone with their child’s confidence and future. No Facebook advert can replace a genuine conversation. Meeting people in person changed everything. Many parents told us they had already seen our emails. But seeing the team standing there, chatting to families and supporting the event, instantly made Breakthrough Maths feel real.
You Can’t Sit Behind the Table
One thing I noticed throughout the weekend was how many exhibitors stayed sitting behind their stands.
We didn’t.
If you want to grow, you have to introduce yourself.
Start conversations.
Smile.
Walk over.
It’s exhausting.
After two days my legs were completely gone. Could barely make it up the stairs.
But that’s where every meaningful conversation happened.
Business rarely comes to you.
You have to go to it.
Building Trust Before Students Need You
One of the biggest reasons we attended wasn’t to sign students up immediately.
Most families don’t suddenly decide they need maths tuition in July.
They realise it in September, whe school has already started.
If a parent sees Breakthrough Maths at a national sporting event today, follows us on Instagram tomorrow, and remembers us three months later when maths becomes difficult, we’ve already won.
That’s how brands are built.
Small Moments Matter
One unexpected highlight came after England Hockey tagged us on Instagram.
Seeing our company alongside one of England’s biggest sporting organisations gave us instant credibility.
People started recognising the brand throughout the event.
It proved something I’ve always believed:
Consistency compounds.
One opportunity creates another.
Was It Worth It?
Absolutely.
Was it expensive?
Yes.
Was it exhausting?
Definitely.
Would I do it again?
Without hesitation.
Growing a business isn’t always about finding the cheapest marketing channel.
Sometimes it’s about putting yourself where your future customers already are.
Meeting hundreds of families face-to-face gave us something no online campaign could ever replicate:
Real conversations and trust.
To be honest, the best part for me was filming my first ever proper YouTube video. Thats right, I’m a YouTuber now.
From Glanmire to Nottingham
When I started teaching eight students in a hall in Glanmire, I never imagined we’d one day sponsor an England Hockey event.
Yet here we are.
Breakthrough Maths has grown because we’ve never been afraid to try new ideas, work hard, and keep improving.
Not every risk pays off immediately.
But every experience teaches you something.
This weekend reminded me that if you genuinely care about helping students succeed, people notice.
And if you keep showing up, opportunities eventually follow.
The journey from a small hall in Cork to supporting families across Ireland—and now the UK—is only just beginning.
If you’re looking for expert GCSE maths tutoring, A-Level maths support, or 11+ maths preparation, Breakthrough Maths is here to help students build confidence and achieve their best results.