Young entrepreneurs descended on Bradford city centre today to sell their wares and make a profit for charity.

Schools from across the Bradford district, including Challenge College, Lidget Green Primary, Bowling Park Primary and Horton Grange Primary, got involved with their own creations, including natural tea lights, dreamchasers, ring-pull bracelets and cupcakes, all on sale.

The sun was shining as the pupils, some as young as seven, walked around in Darley Street wearing sandwich boards plying their trade to shoppers.

Sophie Holmes, 11, from St Cuthbert’s, was selling ring-pull bracelets.

She said: “It has taken us a couple of months to get the products ready. I have really enjoyed selling them and we are hoping to make a lot of money to give to Martin House Hospice.”

Blake Hill Primary school children were selling sun hats that they started decorating in February. They had sold 36 of their 48 hats, priced at £3 each, in just an hour. Katie Moore, ten, from the school, said that she had enjoyed the experience.

“It is about getting profit and working in a team,” she said.

“It has gone really well selling the hats.”

The event was the final stage of Bradford Council’s Step Up Market Challenge.

Sock monkey kits, luxury soaps, handmade phone covers and tiny handbags made from recycled wool were among the products on sale.

The challenge, organised by the Council’s Education Business Partnership, now in its third year, encourages pupils to develop a product or service for £100 which they can sell profitably on a real-life market stall.

Cash prizes will be awarded for the teams with the most profit, most innovative product and most effective marketing.

The winners of last year’s competition were invited to the House of Commons by Bradford East MP David Ward.

Joseph Fynn, seven, from Shirley Manor Primary School, said that his stall, selling chalkboards and dreamchasers, had made exactly £94.42 by 11.15am.

The event’s organiser Amerjeat Sarai, who works for Bradford’s Education Business Partnership, said that the day was a success and there had never been any fear of it being cancelled because of poor weather.

She said local businesses had been very supportive of the youngsters.

e-mail: dolores.cowburn@telegraphandargus.co.uk