Duncan Walker Bannatyne, OBE, is a noted Scottish entrepreneur, investor, author and philanthropist. Coming from modest family background, Bannatyne served and had a dishonourable discharge from the Royal Navy leading to a nine-month service in the tough Colchester military detention centre. Moving on he did several odd jobs before starting his business career in Stockton-on-Tees in North England by buying an ice cream van for £450. He then thrived in expanding the business and as destiny would have it, with time his business flourished. He later sold it and established a nursing home called Quality Care Homes and then sold the latter and a children’s nursing chain called Just Learning and expanded into health clubs with the Bannatyne Health Clubs chain, hotels, bars and property. Bannatyne presently owns the biggest health club chains in the UK. He featured as a business angel on the British TV programme ‘Dragons' Den’. He has done a lot of charitable work and established the ‘Bannatyne Charitable Trust.  He was inducted an OBE partly for his work with charities like Mary's meals. He has also authored seven books.