Young entrepreneurs rewarded

Young Enterprise Hastings and Rother held its awards evening at Azur restaurant, St Leonards, last week and Bexhill schools scooped four prizes.

Co-chairman Helen Pomery said: "The transformation we have seen in the young people is unbelievable.

"The students came up with some really original ideas - they did not play it safe, they really thought outside the box.

"We are blessed in this town with some incredible emerging business talent."

This year saw seven schools and colleges take part - Bexhill College and St Mary's School, as well as Filsham Valley, Sussex Coast College, Helenswood, Rye College, and Battle Abbey School.

"I am really glad and proud of students' achievement," said Sam Dass, an eBusiness tutor at Bexhill College, after his team took home awards for Best Accounts and Best Presentation.

"It was the first time we became part of the Young Enterprise programme and entered into finals."

An 11-strong team from St Mary's School, of Wrestwood Road, named The Business Knights, won Best Governance and Best Website.

Vanessa Osborne, of St Mary's, said the team were "very successful", and had involved the other 50 college students in making a variety of hand made goods - including pottery bird feeders, greetings cards, wrapping paper and jewellery.

She added: "Students had to prepare a stand for a trade fair in Priory Meadow, attend a Dragons' Den competition, sell shares in the company and take part in presentations."

Mrs Pomery said all the schools had risen to the challenges they faced - which ranged from personnel and communication issues to snow-delays and even swine-flu cancelled sales events.

Co-chairman Mark Weeks-Pearson, of Ashdown Hurrey accountants said: "As an employer this scheme gives me the confidence to take on school leavers, especially ones who have taken part because the whole point is to show them the way the real world works."

The organisers paid tribute to Azur at the Marina Pavilion and Priory Meadow shopping centre for all their support.