Winners of the Enterprise Regional Finals receive scholarships to The University of Buckingham

Nine teams from across the region took part in the Young Enterprise Regional Finals awarding Bathe, from Pipers Corner School in High Wycombe as the winning team.

They will head to the national finals in London on 18 June to compete for a prize of £2000 and the opportunity to go to the European Finals later this year in France.

In addition, the all-female team of 11 have been gifted scholarships to study on the BSc Business Enterprise (BBE) Venture Creation Programme at The University of Buckingham so they can continue on their entrepreneurial journey.

Bathe’s winning idea was bath infusion tea bags inspired by influential women. They aim to provide a quality bath experience that is both physically and mentally beneficial, whilst simultaneously spreading the empowering message of inspirational women.

The Young Enterprise competition, hosted in the new Vinson Building for Economics and Entrepreneurship, has students create and run a business, going through the entire process of product development, market research, sales, marketing and financial management.

Teams aged between 16 and 17 were interviewed by various local businesses including, Try Digital, Zebra Technologies, Lyreco, Catch Developments, Routeco and HSBC and were judged on their creativity, originality and if the idea had a clear and strong purpose. They also scored points on how they generated their ideas, made decisions, communicated and supported their team.

Vice Managing Director, Mailena Clarke, 16 years old from High Wycombe said: “Thank you to The University of Buckingham for holding such an incredible event. As you can imagine, as a team we are still in shock of the result and it was a truly incredible experience.

“The Vinson Centre itself was a beautiful place for such a magical evening. At a nervous time of having to present and be interviewed the conditions the University provided couldn’t have been more fitting.

“It has been 25 years since any team from Buckinghamshire has ever got through to nationals so hopefully we can do High Wycombe proud with the result on the 18th June.”

Competing teams presented many ideas aimed at saving the environment, improving sustainably and mental health. The full list of teams that presented in the regional finals were:

• Violet & Benji from Buckinghamshire, who create eco-friendly and sustainable products for pets including handmade bandanas, biodegradable waste bags and compostable water bowls.
• Glo from Oxfordshire, who create products that can contribute to helping mental health.  Their main product is a line of serotonin jewellery including necklaces, bracelets and earrings
• Elixir from Oxfordshire, who produce a smart bottle with a heat-detecting lid as well as metal straws that are completely recyclable and BPA free.
• Flare from Berkshire, who have created a storybook raising awareness around environmental issues aimed at children aged 3+ in a fun appealing way. It includes mugs, stickers and a British sign language version.
• The Green Company from Hertfordshire, who produce a range of plastic free products aimed at reducing plastic consumption in the house by targeting specific areas of domestic life with environmentally friendly alternatives.
• Sirens from Berkshire, have created a First Aid keyring designed to fit on a set of keys or in a pocket that is easily accessible.
• Unity from Bedfordshire, with their product Tee-Moji that is a range of personalised t-shirts where you can snap on badges designed by them. They want to encourage children to express their vision and the way they feel.
• Anchored from Hertfordshire, who have produced the Anchored Mug that grips to surfaces even when knocked into.

Regional manager for Young Enterprise, Mary Cloake said: “It makes the experience even more special to be hosted in the Vinson Building at The University of Buckingham. It was a pleasure to see the ability of the young people from across South Central as they shine on their business journey.”

Judge on the panel and Director of Development at The University of Buckingham, Alistair Lomax said: “The quality this year was astonishing and the energy levels in the building could have fired the national grid. The young people revealed, through their products and passion, a great sense of care and responsibility for our frail natural environment. We were all inspired and quite humbled too.

The University of Buckingham was founded on entrepreneurship. We share the same DNA as Young Enterprise and were delighted to be hosting the regional finals again.”

You can find out more about Young Enterprise  and more on the university’s BSc Business Enterprise (BBE) Venture Creation Programme.