Talented young entrepreneurs

A team of five Tavistock College pupils and their new enterprise ‘Tyre Fires of Tavistock’ recently attended Buckingham Palace in the presence of Peter Jones and HRH The Duke of York as finalists of a national enterprise competition ‘Tycoon in Schools’.

Tycoon in Schools challenges youngsters to set up their own real-life business using a loan of up to £1000 provided by the Peter Jones Foundation, raising as much profit as possible during a seven week trading period.

The group impressed with a range of stylish fire pits made from recycled wheel rims.   The ambitious sixth formers sourced the rims from a respected local scrap yard, negotiating a reduced price for the raw materials.  The fire pits are formed when two rims are welded together and a hole cut for the door using an angle grinder, followed by scrupulous quality checks.

The team made an impressive £1327 profit,  during the trading period but were however keen to use some of this profit to provide support for a fellow student during a time of difficulty.

Team member Phoebe Sanders said,  “Currently we are discussing within our team plans for the rest of the year but hope to continue trading as a sustainable business.”

Sarah Holt, Head of Humanities and Business Studies at Tavistock College, commented:  ‘how incredibly proud Tavistock College is of the team’s achievements, especially their passion for their business and determination to succeed.’