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21 May 2018
Malvern St James Girls’ School is through to the West Midlands Final for Young Enterprise Company of the Year, having beaten off stiff competition from 30 other teams from schools in the Herefordshire and Worcestershire region, including The Chase, King’s School Worcester, The Chantry School, Pershore High and Bromsgrove School.
The winning team – called Moments – will take their place in front of the West Midlands judges on June 13th to present in four categories – trade stand, company report, presentation and interview. Their product is a portfolio of items including postcards, 15 Reasons Why I Love You booklets and coupon books that can be redeemed for promises.
The girls have benefited from business advice from their advisor Rupert Parsons of Acacia Dentists in Bromyard, who has been involved with Young Enterprise at MSJ for a number of years.
A second MSJ team, called Zealous, who created handmade candles also garnered awards for Most Creative Business, Best Finance Directors, Best Company Report and Best Company at the South Worcestershire heats; and then Best Company Report in the Herefordshire & Worcestershire heats. Despite not progressing to the West Midlands Finals, they can be pleased with a very honourable performance.
Over 250,000 young people take part in Young Enterprise every year. It is a charity that aims to make the connection between school and the world of work, enabling young people to develop the knowledge and attitudes they need to succeed. Each Young Enterprise Company has to create a product with a business team and strategy behind it, and then sell it at a Young Enterprise Trade Fair open to members of the public.
Olivera Raraty, Headmistress at MSJ, says, “Young Enterprise is a big thing at MSJ. We feel strongly about the importance of fostering entrepreneurship in our students; encouraging them to put themselves out of their comfort zone, allowing them to have the confidence to try new things and to take risks. By doing a scheme such as Young Enterprise, it allows the students to experience, albeit on a small scale, what is needed to successfully launch and run a business. One of our alumnae who came in to visit us earlier this year, and is now running her own very successful Artificial Intelligence agency, started out doing YE at school. She said that it helped her enormously.”
“I am also really pleased that a local business, Austin & Co on Church Street, has agreed to stock some of Moments’ postcards this Summer. We appreciate their support, and hope that it will be a mutually successful partnership.”
Prime Minister Theresa May recently visited her local Young Enterprise fair, where the companies sell their products. She called it a “fantastic showcase for the creativity and innovation of the young people involved”, and “a hugely positive impact on communities.
