Schoolgirls' idea sparkles (From Witney Gazette)

Schoolgirls' idea sparkles

6:27am Wednesday 30th January 2008 in Headlines

A NEW breed of entrepreneurs opened for business at a special event in Cowley.

Scores of teenagers gathered at the Templars Square shopping centre for the Young Enterprise Trade Fair, with many of them selling their goods to the public for the first time.

Chipping Norton School pupils Jess Chai, 16, left, and Kate Blackwell, 17, are pictured with their jewellery.

Tomas O'Reilly, 16, from Bloxham School, Bloxham, was helping his company, Flux, sell environmentally-friendly cotton bags.

He said: "We've done much better than expected and made a profit on the day with plenty of stock to spare."

Twelve Young Enterprise companies run by county schools attended the trade fair, which was backed by the Oxford Mail.

Each was launched in September with members gaining experience of how to set up, run and liquidate a business during the course of an academic year.

Anita Candy, chairman of Oxfordshire Young Enterprise, said: "Everyone has made a fantastic effort - the standard seems to grow higher every year."

Award winners were: Forget Me Not, from the School of St Helen and St Katharine, Abingdon, for their business plan; Kawaii, from Headington School, for innovation; Dolly Mixtures, from Our Lady's Convent Senior School, Abingdon, for best customer service; and Bloxham School's Flux, which was voted best trade stand.