Abbey Gate College Young Enterprise Team are North West Champions

Published on isbi School News dated Tuesday 24th of June 2014

Enterprising Chester students Tales of Success

Students from Abbey Gate College, Chester, have beaten off stiff competition to get through to the Young Enterprise UK Company of the Year Final.

The team of Lower Sixth Form students were named 'Best overall Company' at the North West Company of the Year Awards, hosted by Barclays Technology Centre Radbroke and will now represent the region at the national final in London in July.

The students created 'Wolf Tales', a professionally produced children's book that aims to help 4-6yr olds learn to read.

Wolf Tales Managing Director Eilidh Pilkington said 'We aimed to create a story book that would compete with other famous and well-loved picture books. The experience and skills we have gained through participating in Young Enterprise has been invaluable. The lessons we have learnt are the kind that can only be gained through direct participation; not from a board in a classroom. I would definitely encourage young people to take part, as it has been such a fantastic opportunity."

The students are taking part in Young Enterprise's flagship Company Programme, on which students set up and run their own businesses for an academic year, under the guidance of business mentors.

Graham Bastin, Barclays Head of Infrastructure and Site Executive of the host location said 'It was a pleasure to host the Young Enterprise North West Finals here at Barclays Technology Centre Radbroke for the first time. We saw some brilliant work from the student finalists, all of which had learnt some valuable skills and the potential to become successful entrepreneurs of the future. The outcome was a testament to all the hard work from the Students Advisers, Link Teachers and the Young Enterprise team that manage the programme so successfully. We're really pleased that a Barclays colleague, Sarah Chaloner, is the Student Adviser to the winning team, Wolf Tales'.

Suzanne Lockwood, Young Enterprise North West Area Manager, said: 'More than 2,400 young people in the North West have started a business with the support of Young Enterprise this year.

'The regional final is a fantastic celebration of over 200 student companies hard work and tenacity over the past year and all the competitors proved that the North West has some very entrepreneurial and highly employable young people. We'd like to say a big thank you to our supporters who made the event possible, Barclays, United Utilities, Manchester Airports Group, Asda, FWB and Downtown Manchester in Business''

Abbey Gate Link Teacher, Mrs Nichola Burton noted 'The girls have matured into strong independent women who aren't afraid of the big bad wolf!!!'
**ENDS**

For more information please contact Suzanne Lockwood , on Suzanne.lockwood@y-e.org.uk or 07841 880 996.

For more information on Young Enterprise please contact Kate Corry, Press Officer, on kate.corry@y-e.org.uk or 07909 990 531.

* Young Enterprise is the UK's leading enterprise education charity.
* Every year we help 250,000 young people aged between 4 and 25 learn about business and the world of work in schools, colleges and universities. The students do this under the guidance of a network of 5,000 volunteers from 3,500 companies.
* This year more than 25,000 young people are taking part in our flagship Company Programme.
* Website: www.young-enterprise.org.uk
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