Students compete for business cash

Furness College’s first Enterprise Award Final saw five teams of students pitch their ideas in a Dragons’ Den-style contest at The Custom House in Barrow. Having beaten off competition from their classmates to make the final, groups from the college’s catering, engineering, early years and hair and beauty classes presented their innovative products and business plans to local experts.

Helen Hartley, owner of Murrays Pharmacies and Ooy Rigg, Cumbria businesswoman of the year, were joined on the judging panel by IT entrepreneur John Willis, Software Solutions’ expert Peter Steel and professional business mentor Elena Derry. Local entrepreneur Glen Richardson opened the event and introduced each group.

First to pitch were catering students Furness Functions, who presented their plan to host a charity event in honour of Ulverston’s mayor, Councillor Pat Jones, following her recent cancer battle. They were followed to the front by Punkah Prams, who described their prototype for a motorised pram for parents with mobility problems. Third to present were Maxilicious, who pitched their plan to sell an innovative eye-waxing kit. Then Charity Calendar described how they would sell a student calendar with a twist. Finally t-learning presented their product – t-shirts for teachers designed to help nursery and primary school children with their studies.

All the teams faced a thorough grilling from the panel but the judges were clearly impressed.  Mr Willis said: “I think everybody has really put a lot of thought into this. The judges awarded Furness Functions £350 of the £500 they requested to help organise their event and gave Punkah Prams £100 to do extra research, plus free help to check their idea is not already patented. The t-learning team were given the £400 they asked for.

Each group is now tasked with making their projects successful enough to pay back the investment. Any extra profit they make, they can give to charities of their choice.

Furness College lecturer Jonny Williams, who organised the event, said: “It’s massively important for the students to have this real life experience of entrepreneurism. I think it’s gone brilliantly.”