Piggott students meet Twyford’s Dragons
A GROUP of 12 future entrepreneurs from Piggott CE Secondary School came face to face with dragons last week.
The Year 11 students are studying GCSE Business Studies.
They were presenting ideas for their own start-ups to a panel of judges, just like in BBC’s Dragon’s Den.
Among the ideas looking for investment were cycle hire shop Bishop Bikes and vegan supermarket Green Foods.
It is a regular event organised in a partnership between Twyford Together and teacher Ashley Pearce.
Twyford Together aims to bring businesses, community organisations and residents closer together.
Mr Pearce said the idea came about in conversation with Gordon Storey, the man credited with organising several events in the village who died last year.
“Pupils work in pairs and are assigned mentors from Twyford Together, and then they work together over a few weeks to develop a business idea,” he explained.
“I chose the best six ideas to go forward to the final.
“It is a great experience for them and the standard this year was really high.”
And according to Kevin Lancaster, managing director of Right at Home Reading and
Wokingham District, it is a great experience for mentors too.
“It’s important for me to put something back into the the community, and working with Josh and Kiran to develop Green Foods was brilliant.
“I’ve been through sales pitches too, so we were able to prepare for some of the questions they would be asked.”
The final was held at Rural Pie Co on Monday, April 4.
The young entrepreneurs presented to Cllrs Stephen Conway and Lyndsey Ferris, and Alex Barfield of Havisham Group.
Overall winners were dessert business Encake, developed by Neve and Georgia. Green Foods came second, and the mobile dessert start-up Temptations to Go by Avneet and Grainne came third.