Youngsters make a real profit in city (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Children make money selling items to Bradford people

6:44pm Monday 28th June 2010 in Bradford By Ben Barnett

Young entrepreneurs have made hundreds of pounds from selling home-made goods to the public in Bradford.

Twenty-nine teams aged five to 19 took part in the final of Bradford Council’s Step Up Market Challenge.

Hundreds of enterprising groups pitched their ideas, including hugable warm cushions, lanterns, scarves made from recycled materials and a thumb-wrestling arena, to a Dragon’s Den-style panel before a shortlist of finalists was drawn up.

Groups heading into the final challenge were awarded £100 each to get their ideas off the ground.

Lees Primary School’s Lees Marketeers sold teddy bears with lavender bags and St Bede’s Catholic Grammar School’s The 3 Bee’s made a profit selling Bradford City merchandise in aid of the Burns Unit Appeal.

Both won the Most Effective Marketing award.

Prizes for the top profit margins were awarded to the Green Team of St Cuthbert and First Martyrs’ Catholic Primary School for its recyclable bedroom bins and to Bags R Us of Challenge College for its recycled party bags.

Elsewhere, children at St Stephen’s CE Primary School sold decorative flower pots and bookmarks and even enlisted retailer Waterstone’s to help sell their bookmarks for 50p each. All the money they raised went towards building an outdoor classroom.

Councillor Ralph Berry said: “This experience has given the children a great opportunity to apply what they have been learning to a real situation.”

Event organiser, Ashleigh McMillan, the Council’s enterprise enablement manager, said: “Every team turned a profit on the day – no-one left disappointed. There was a real buzz. As I showed the Lord Mayor around lots of people were telling us that this was just what Bradford needs.”