Year 10 students secure maximum investment from Dragons
This year’s Manchester Airport Community Network Dragons Den Enterprise competition saw a group of Year 10 Bridgewater students successfully pitch their business idea for ‘Bridgewater Bags’ and secure the maximum investment of £100 from the panel of Dragons.
The competition, designed to develop skills that business leaders value such as communication, budget management, problem-solving and decision making, challenges students to set up a virtual business; designing an innovative gift, planning production and writing a business plan to present to the Dragons Den in a bid to secure a business start-up loan.
The Bridgewater team pitched their idea of travel packs for young children to this year’s panel of Dragons, which was made up of business representatives from John Lewis, Greater Manchester Police, Marriott Hotel and Manchester Airports Group.
Having returned from the Den victorious, the girls were keen to set about the next phase of their task; sourcing materials, manufacturing, marketing and sales, in advance of the Grand Final in December when profits will be declared and winners announced. All profits from Bridgewater Bags will g to St. Ann’s Hospice, a local charity that the School is proud to support.
Rebecca Stewart, Head of Careers at Bridgewater School, comments: “This is a wonderful opportunity for students to gain an understanding of business strategies and develop a new set of skills. The confidence that the team have already gained is wonderful to see.”
“The confidence that the team have already gained is wonderful to see.”
Our entrepreneurial team have big plans for the future, with thoughts already turning to expanding their product range for other markets and taking on the world.