Portsmouth students sell hand-made products as part of business challenge

STUDENTS were given the chance to design, make and sell products as part of an enterprise challenge.
From left, Daisy Earwicker, Micky Mellows, Millie Foster, Naomi Thakur and Steve Rolls Pictures: Keith Woodland (170396)From left, Daisy Earwicker, Micky Mellows, Millie Foster, Naomi Thakur and Steve Rolls Pictures: Keith Woodland (170396)
From left, Daisy Earwicker, Micky Mellows, Millie Foster, Naomi Thakur and Steve Rolls Pictures: Keith Woodland (170396)

Teams from 14 schools across the Portsmouth area are taking part in Faith and Football’s business project.

As part of the five-month process, the Year 9 pupils had to come up with a product which they could create themselves and then sell to the public.

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On Saturday, they had stalls at Cascades Shopping Centre where they could promote and sell their idea to a wider audience and make some cash.

Ann Roni, Anna Jozwiak, Ania Jankowski and Laura Price, from Oaklands Catholic School in Waterlooville, were promoting their idea Queen Bee Treats. They had a range of cupcakes for sale.

Ann, 13, said: ‘We all came up with the name and we liked the idea of making cakes to sell. We have been going door-to-door to sell them but it has been good selling them in Cascades.’

Laura added: ‘It has helped boost my confidence because we have had to approach people and get them to our stall.’

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St John’s College pupils Tom Russell, Joe Eales, Jack Collett and Archie Ansell were selling hand-made picture frames for their business model In The Frame. They created the MDF frames in school.

Archie, 14, said: ‘We wanted to do something that everyone uses and isn’t a one-off buy. People use a few picture frames so the idea was they would buy more than one at a time.’

The boys said the business challenge had helped them gain important skills.

Jack, 14, added: ‘It has helped with money management, communication and developing our ideas.’

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The Cookie Co, created by Portsmouth Grammar students George Davis-Marks, Arya Gowda, Sarnaz Hossain and Jevon Hannah, was busy throughout the day.

Sarnaz said: ‘We looked at what people at our school liked to eat and it was cookies but there was only one type so we all came up with different flavours.

‘Most of us are looking to study business studies next year so it has been really good to do this challenge and get an insight into the business world.’

Faith and Football has been running the business challenge for 12 years.

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Students have to make as much money as they can from their products with the money going to an orphanage in India. The winning team then gets to visit the orphanage.

Naomi Thakur, assistant director of the charity, said: ‘It’s great for us to see the students confidently selling their products. This idea is about getting them out of the classroom and learning about producing a business model.’

Cascades centre director Rhoda Joseph said: ‘It was great to have so many entrepreneurial students in the centre. The response from shoppers was fantastic as always.

‘I’m pleased that we were able to give the students a chance to trade alongside giants from the retail world.’