An enterprising group of students from the College of West Anglia’s (CWA’s) Developing Workskills and Bridge to Education programmes have made it to the final of the Peter Jones Foundation Tycoon competition, set to take place on 14th November in Canary Wharf.
Gemma Doughty, Course Director for Developing Workskills explained, “Our students worked together decorating and selling candles with the company name, Candle with Care, and the tagline, Light up a Life. We started it as a way of bringing part of the learners' qualification to life in their Enterprise Unit. They had to agree on a business idea, write a plan, ask for a start-up loan from the Peter Jones Foundation and then commit time to the project throughout the year, at the same time keeping on top of their studies. Throughout the project, we saw the learners display teamwork, respect for each other, attention to detail, entrepreneurship and a great sense of excitement and achievement.”
The Candle with Care team is made up of students, Freddie Depear, Sasha Phillips, Ryan Gowler, Kurtis Till, Jayden Maycroft, Ella Reddy, Jasper Grooms and April Freeman, who have achieved remarkable success with their business, selling candles to not only repay their £100 start-up loan, but also raise an impressive £500 for Great Ormond Street Hospital. Through their entrepreneurial venture supported by coffee mornings and product sales, they have combined business acumen with a strong commitment to charitable giving. Their hard work has earned them a very well-deserved spot at the final, where they will compete against other talented young entrepreneurs from across the UK.
Team member, Ryan Gowler, said, “I have enjoyed the project as making candles has been so much fun. I’ve also really liked the community outreach aspect, as we were invited into the local residential home and showed them our product. Learning about budgeting and being responsible with money has been a key part of this business plan and we wouldn’t have had the success we have had without it!”
Learner Support Officer, Tiff Marsh, commented,” Just like the candles they’ve made, our students have shone bright throughout their entrepreneurship”.