MC4C support helps young photographer focus on business
TALENT: Caitlin Ellen Aldred-Young at West Hull Community Hub
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A young creative and rugby fan has combined her passions to embark on a career as a sports photographer with the Making Changes for Careers (MC4C) programme helping her tackle the business aspects.
Caitlin Ellen Aldred-Young, who is 21, has found no shortage of help from colleagues on the touchline as she has built up a portfolio of action pictures and candid shots, but she needed expert input from elsewhere to develop the business skills behind CEAY Photography.
Caitlin joined the MC4C programme in 2025 with the ambition of turning her love of photography into a career. She gained vital practical knowledge from the MC4C workshops and, with support from her business advisor Becca McCoid, she registered with HMRC and opened a business bank account.
One of the biggest challenges she faced was setting prices for her work after volunteering her services for so long, but she has now confidently established her pricing structure and is already receiving bookings for end-of-season sports presentation events.
Caitlin studied photography to GCSE level at Hessle High School and then took the subject further with a two-year course at Hull College. By the time she finished that, Caitlin had already been volunteering at West Hull Community Hub and knew she wanted to specialise in sports photography.
Her interest in rugby came from supporting her brother, who was a referee, and she discovered a love for capturing the excitement and emotion of the game through her camera lens. Contact with experienced sports photographers at matches gave Caitlin access to advice and professional tips.
One of her biggest opportunities came when she was selected to photograph the prestigious East v West rugby match at Sewell Group Craven Park in Hull.
Away from the sporting arena, Caitlin’s voluntary work at West Hull Community Hub enables her to explore a documentary-style approach to capturing natural, candid moments of volunteers, older residents and community activities. She regularly photographs day trips and events, ensuring lasting memories are preserved for everyone involved.
More recently, Caitlin was invited to photograph the official opening of Elevate @ The Mark Jones MBE Centre, documenting the new facilities and capturing the visitors enjoying guided tours. The event demonstrated her ability to adapt her photography style across a variety of scenarios.
Support has included a test market grant of £381.94 from the John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank (JCYEB) which helped Caitlin to purchase start-up equipment for her business to grow.
ACTION: One of Caitlin’s shots of West Hull RLFC in action earlier this year
Becca said Caitlin has worked hard to develop the business skills to support her photographic talent.
She said: “It has been a pleasure working with Caitlin and watching her confidence grow. She has a natural talent for photography and consistently captures fantastic images, whether she's photographing the fast-paced action of a rugby match or the genuine moments that tell a story through documentary photography.
“Seeing her diary fill up with bookings well in advance is a real testament to the quality of her work and the trust people have in her services. I have every confidence that her business will continue to go from strength to strength."
Mike Melvin told how he pointed Caitlin towards MC4C after meeting her at West Hull Community Hub, where he is a volunteer.
He said: “She was taking photographs and she was thinking about how she might make a living at it. I knew the Youth Enterprise Team at Hull City Council would be able to help via the MC4C programme and give Caitlin the support and confidence to run her own business. It was a no-brainer to recommend them and the John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank to her.
“I have every faith that Caitlin will prove to be a highly successful sports and event photographer and I am delighted to support her business journey. I’m also grateful to MC4C and JCYEB and especially her brilliant advisor Becca for believing in her.”
Caitlin said “Mike knew what MC4C could do so he recommended them for me and I’ve been going there for a year. They helped me gain knowledge and passion for running my business and they also helped me with my confidence, talking to new people and gaining new clients.
“Becca has taught me so much and she continues to help, checking in on how I’m doing. It’s been amazing and everybody is really helpful.”
To contact Caitlin use her social media platforms:
Facebook – CEAY Photography
Instagram – ceayphotography