Stop press... Hatchers was thrilled to learn that Idsall School's Joob team won the award for Best Product at the Shropshire Young Enterprise Finals on 7 May. Their inspirational teacher, Sheila Jukes, won Best Link Teacher, and Hatchers' very own Margaret Ryan was recognised for her outstanding commitment to the youngsters with the award for Best Business Adviser
Hatchers helps Shropshire school kids with business venture
Solicitor Margaret Ryan of Hatchers in Shrewsbury was delighted to hear that her protégés from Idsall School in Shifnal made it through to the final stages of a Young Enterprise contest…
Margaret, an Adviser on the Young Enterprise Company Programme, has given up her time once a week for nearly a year to help children from the local school to push forward with a business venture for a competition organised by Young Enterprise. Margaret has plenty of business experience herself, having worked in sales management in the retail trade before retraining as a solicitor specialising in Wills, Trusts and Estates.
At a recent inter-schools competition, the judging panel of Young Enterprise Shropshire were putty in the hands of Margaret's team of budding entrepreneurs, who were tasked with coming up with a brilliant business idea and setting up a company as part of a learning programme. The group, who named their company 'Joob' were put through to the final stage of this year’s Young Enterprise scheme with a ‘silly putty’ product they have named ‘Floob’.
Although Joob went out of the national contest at the finals on April 30, they are looking forward to a celebratory dinner at Telford’s Park Inn hotel on Wednesday May 7 when the overall Shropshire winner will be announced and also awards for other categories, such as Best Product, Best Company Report and Best Business Adviser.
Teacher Sheila Jukes, who has guided the Idsall students through the competition, said: “We are very proud of what our students have achieved. They have shown initiative, commitment and perseverance.”
The school has been involved with several Young Enterprise programmes over the years but in September 2007 decided to offer their Year 10 group the opportunity of taking part in the ‘Company Programme’, said Sheila.
“It meant the students had to get into groups and form their own companies, develop a business plan, sell shares, hold board meetings, source materials and manufacture goods. They also attended several trade fairs where they had to try and make a profit.”
Offered as an extra-curricular activity, it proved very popular with the Idsall students and although some fell by the wayside, three groups continued through to completion this month.
“Throughout the process the children have had help and advice from business people in Shropshire. Idsall’s finalists, Joob, were advised by solicitor Margaret Ryan from Hatchers in Shrewsbury," said Sheila.
"We are very grateful to Hatchers for releasing Margaret to visit the school each Monday afternoon. Her professional knowledge and expertise has contributed enormously to the success of this programme.
“Without her support the groups would have experienced considerable difficulty understanding and dealing with the legal issues involved with running a business. She kept them motivated and focused.”
