A team of budding entrepreneurs from Annan Academy are heading to Hampden Park for the Young Enterprise Scotland company programme finals.
Zoe Mitchell, Jace McKeeman, Lauren Marshall, Asya Meydan, Jack Mitchell, John Glendinning, Wallace Alexander and Jenna Pearson set up and ran Oor Wee Gift Company.
Their aim during the school year was to create sustainable and reusable items from local resources, such as scrap material from Levi’s.
Now they will represent the region in Glasgow on May 31 at three-day Festival of Youth Enterprise.
They made it there after being awarded top team status for Dumfries and Galloway at the local area finals.
They also won best interview and best presentation, with a special award for their supportive teacher, Emily Rae.
Their business will be pitched against 16 others from around the country for the title of Company of the Year and a chance to represent Scotland in the UK finals in June.
All the finalists will have a chance to show off their products and will give a presentation to a panel of judges before the winners are announced.
The hard-working Oor Wee Gift Company team sold a range of products including candles, mini bags, glasses cases and personalised mugs – their best seller – at several community events and from a stall at the Caledonia Park retail outlet centre in Gretna, building up a loyal customer base.
Emma Soanes, chief executive of Young Enterprise Scotland, will be hosting the company programme finals, which celebrate the teams and their teachers who have encouraged and supported them along the way.
She said: “The Annan Academy team are an inspiration and I wish them every success in this month’s Scottish finals.
“So, whatever happens at Hampden Park, they are already winners.”
