Ignite, a Young Enterprise business from Alleyne’s Academy, jumped for joy after a tense evening in the Staffordshire Young Enterprise final.
For the fourth consecutive year, Alleyne’s have seen off competition from other regional schools to retain their Best Company award for Staffordshire, which has also been held at the Wedgwood museum for the 2nd year running.
Ignite’s product is a smart phone holder called the ‘Connect’. The Connect has a ‘docking’ area for the phone to sit on while on charge or playing media.
The product also has a mount for the charger that relieves the stress on the cable in the case of high plugs.
The Young Enterprise programme helps young entrepreneurs aged 16 to 18 develop their business skills. The teenagers create their own company and sell their own products and services as part of the scheme.
Teams from Alleyne’s Academy have a hugely impressive record over the last few years. Tow years ago, the Sock Tree Company narrowly failed to make the national final, whereas, in the year previous to Sock Tree, Versaleaf went all the way to the final – a goal that the school is hoping they can achieve once again but will have to first face the undoubtedly tougher competition in the West Midland’s Finals in June.
1 comment
Eric Davis
I am following Alleyne’s YE successes (and occasional failures) with interest, following meeting up with Area Manager, Tim Barker about 15 months ago at a Shrewsbury Social Enterprise Exhibition. Why?
As a teacher of commercial subjects at Alleyne’s 1976-89, I introduced YE to the School – linking with a different local company each academic year. In 1983, three 6th Form ‘entrepreneurs’ (Stuart Hodgson, Stephen Jeffs, Martin May) and myself undertook a Land’s End-John o’ Groats 1022 mile cycle ride zig-zag route over 10 days to promote YE. The reason for zig-zagging was to take in the maximum number of YE Area Boards en-route, each of which arranged accommodation – at Land’s End, Plymouth, Bristol, Kidderminster, Stone (own homes), Bolton, Workington, Motherwell, Calvine and Tain. We didn’t stay at a John o’ Groats YHA Hostel as the air was potent with drugs! We decided to drive home through the night in our two Ford Transits: drivers had two hours on, two hours off. The journey was ably supported by my wife, our son and Eric Jordan of Stafford Road Club acting as cycle mechanic, official teller and support vehicle driver.
Wishing you well in 2015.