Dimension, a company set up by a group of A-level students, is proof that
Britain’s youth, despite its poor image, has entrepreneurial drive in
spades.
Students at the Fortrose Academy were given an opportunity, through Young
Enterprise UK’s company programme, to set up and run a small business for
eight months and they jumped at the chance. Little did they know that the
decision would eventually lead them to London and Stockholm.
“We focused on the sort of issues that we found important – environment,
health and education – and then looked for a suitable business opportunity,”
says Patrick Boyer, the managing director.
Having decided that their business would promote healthy eating to young
children, the team came up with the idea of using recipes, a magnetic
rewards chart and a storybook about a cartoon character, Harry, to encourage
primary school children to eat their five-a-day.
“Scotland’s poor record in fighting obesity is one of the reasons we opted for
this project,” says Alana MacPherson, the creative director.
With the obvious interest in their product and a decent balance sheet,
Dimension decided to enter the local Young Enterprise Innovation Awards
competition – and won. They then won county and regional competitions to
earn the right to represent Scotland in the national finals at the Park Lane
Hotel in London.
Last week Dimension was named as the HSBC Young Enterprise Innovation Award
winner for 2008, having seen off stiff competition from 11 other regional
finalists and 3,000 teams of other young people who had also particpated.
Their prize is a trophy, £1,000 and the chance to represent Britain in the
European Junior Achievement Awards final in the Swedish capital this
weekend, where the company’s financial results, teamwork, marketing
strategy, communications, product development and administration policies
will be under scrutiny.
The competition, now in its 45th year, certainly gives young people the
opportunity to gain valuable entrepreneurial experience. Just one look at
the innovative range of products the finalists came up with was testament to
that.
The Green Footprint Group from Dover Grammar School for Boys, which was
second, produced a reusable cotton shopping bag that has attracted interest
here and abroad, while third-placed Zyxt, from Sacred Heart of Mary Girls’
School in London, has a potential £30,000 order for its internet safety
guidebook for parents, Get Connected. NRG Enterprise, the brainchild
of a group of girls from Brynteg Comprehensive School in Bridgend, won the
Production Award for its Welsh slate signs.
The rules of the competition demand that all companies be liquidated and a
final account produced, but for many of these young entrepreneurs the move
will be temporary. Most of the teams aim to resurrect their companies while
Dimension is already negotiating a small business grant from the University
of Strathclyde, where five of the team have secured places for next year.
THE FINALISTS
Scotland: Dimension; Fortrose Academy, Fortrose
North East: LanguAges; The English Martyrs School and Sixth Form
College, Hartlepool
North West: Smart Revision; Winstanley College, Wigan
Yorkshire and Humber: Ten; Sherburn High School, North Yorkshire
Northern Ireland: Muck; Thornhill College, Derry
East Midlands: Thrive; Queen Elizabeth’s High School, Gainsborough,
Lincolnshire
West Midlands: Stirling; Ashlawn School, Lawrence Sheriff School for
Boys, Rugby High School for Girls, Rugby
East of England: Green Elephant; Sharnbrook Upper School, Bedfordshire
Wales: NRG Enterprises; Brynteg School, Bridgend
London: Zyxt; Sacred Heart of Mary Girls’ School, Upminster
South East: The Green Footprint Group; Dover Grammar School for Boys,
Dover
South West: Soapstars; Hayle Community School, Cornwall
