Students narrowly miss out on business finals

A bunch of budding Ashford entrepreneurs missed on the top spot at the Young Enterprise South East Final.

Green Shoots, run by 11 business studies classmates at Highworth Grammar School in Ashford, was named the winner of the Kent and Medway final of the competition.

However, despite a valiant performance the company, which turns wooden pallets into coasters, lost out in the regional final in Dorking last Wednesday.

That was won by Dottm a group of 13 students from Walthamstow Hall School in Sevenoaks, which produces and sells upcycled button greeting cards.

Julia Dixon, human resources manager at event sponsors South East Water, said: “Young Enterprise is a great way for young people to experience all aspects of running a business, from financial issues and manufacturing issues to problems with team morale.”

Dott will now go to on to rep- resent the South East in July at the 2016 UK Final at the Emirates Stadium in London.

The competition for sixth form students has the intended aim of introducing them to the world of work.

Formed at the beginning of the school year, Green Shoots has sold 160 products, generating £1,287 of revenue, by relieving local businesses of unwanted pallets and turning them into personalised drinks mats and plaques.

South East Water’s human resources managerJulia Dixon with Highworth Grammar School’s Green Shoots team who took part in the final