Former Apprentice finalist, Claire Young spent two days with post-GCSE students from Sherborne Girls last week, challenging them to come up with a social enterprise idea to benefit the local community.
In the spirit of the popular TV programme, the 16-year-old girls were split into groups and tasked to come up with a business concept, as well as appoint a project leader, design logos, research the marketplace, devise a marketing plan and create a radio or TV advert.
The following day the girls pitched their business concept to a panel of judges from the Sherborne business community, including Deputy Mayor, John Andrews; Simon Bean from Dyne Drewett solicitors; and Claire Bowman from Positive PR.
The winning pitch was for “Deli Deliveries”, a company that delivers groceries by bicycle from independent shops to doorsteps in the Sherborne area.
Claire Young, who set up TeenBiz, the UK’s first business start-up scheme for under 18s, to promote entrepreneurship in the younger generation said , “Sherborne Girls blew away all my expectations and executed their social enterprise task brilliantly. I understand the pressures of performing to tight timescales, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone – after all, The Apprentice was 12 weeks of that! I applaud the students for doing it with such energy and enthusiasm. The business ‘dragons’ were suitably impressed by their professional presentations and gave the big thumbs-up. As Lord Sugar would say, “You’re hired!”’
Head of Maths at Sherborne Girls, Louise Orton, who organised the event, adds: “It was a superb two days of inspiration with Claire Young, where our girls felt confident to take risks, follow their instinct and enjoy the resulting success. The team behind Deli Deliveries effectively pitched their idea of fresh, local and to your door – genius!”
Says Simon Bean, Head of Dispute Resolution at Dyne Drewett solicitors in Sherborne, who was one of the judges: “I was impressed by the enthusiasm, thought and creativity shown by the girls in their ideas and presentations. The winning pitch prevailed on the idea not only because it was delivered well, but because it was a clear and simple idea that may well have resonance with the local market.”
