STUDENTS from the Huntingdonshire Young Enterprise Scheme are set to face their first real challenge on Saturday – finding out whether new products and services they’ve created will actually sell to real Christmas shoppers.

The youngsters will be offering their wares at the Huntingdonshire Young Enterprise Christmas Bazaar at the Commemoration Hall, Huntingdon from 10am until 3.30pm.

Chairman of the YE organising board for the area Chris Newsome said: “The prospect of having your brand-new products or services scrutinised by a group of bargain-hungry local Christmas shoppers would be enough to challenge even seasoned business-people but, in our experience at previous events, the youngsters have stood up extremely well to the challenge.”

Huntingdonshire’s Young Enterprise group encourages youngsters to set up real businesses while still at school, so they can learn first-hand how companies work. The organisers and sponsors, including Huntingdonshire District Council, expect schools from as far afield as Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Lincolnshire to take part.

“We expect the event to feature between 12 and 15 companies created entirely by the young entrepreneurs themselves, offering for sale a range of products likely to appeal as Christmas gifts for all ages,” added Mr Newsome.

“To make it even more nail-biting for the participants, they’ll be judged at the event for best overall stall, best product, best customer service and best innovation.

“Those of us behind Young Enterprise are keen to help school pupils learn about the business world in this way. Every year the competition gets more exciting, and this year’s companies and their schools seem more determined than ever to succeed.”

“This event gives terrific real-life experience to the participants and some of the products the youngsters create end up as on-going businesses,” added Angela Saward, also of the YE Huntingdonshire Area Board.

“And any shoppers feeling the cold are welcome to just pop in to warm up, enjoy a cup of something hot, and browse round the stalls to see what our young entrepreneurs and business brains of tomorrow have created.”