Cambs: young entrepreneurs show off their mettle

A DEVICE to enable people to help reverse the decline in the UK’s mason bee population won a group of young people from Kimbolton School two prizes at the annual Young Enterprise Christmas bazaar in Huntingdon on Saturday.

The team, which calls itself Prizm, won the ‘best product’ category for its professional-looking bee box, which includes full instructions and its own specially-designed packaging.

The award was presented by Huntingdonshire District Council’s executive leader, Councillor Jason Ablewhite, pictured with Kimbolton pupils Charlie Gingell and Olivia Cotterill, who praised the young company’s research, marketing and packaging.

Prizm also won the award for the best stand out of the record 16 entrant to the bazaar.

Other award-winners were Ad Lib, one of five teams fielded by Longsands Academy in St Neots, which won the Innovation category, Advantage Orange, also from Longsands (customer service) and Odyssey, from Wisbech Grammar School, which was judged best for its marketing.

Each of the winning companies was given a certificate and a �25 contribution from HDC.

Young Enterprise companies are incorporated by secondary school sixth formers in September and trade until the following spring. Apart from St Peter’s School, which was absent for the second year, and Hinchingbrooke, which has not taken part for many years, all other secondary schools in Huntingdonshire are taking part, along with many others from elsewhere in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.