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Academy "Kaizen Team" win regional challenge.

This year’s regional Young Enterprise Scotland Challenge has been won by Kirkcudbright Academy’s Kaizen team.

The challenge laid down to secondary schools taking part in the Young Enterprise Scotland programme was to do research to identify the most appropriate trade show in the UK or Europe to enable them to showcase and sell their products. They had to cost attendance at the event, put together a sales pitch, and present to a judging panel.

The judges were Wilma Finlay, managing director of Cream o’Galloway, and Ewan Green, principle economic regeneration officer, Dumfries and Galloway Council.  Wilma Finlay said, “Having started a business myself, I know only too well the pressures involved in putting together proposals and then pitching for business. I was particularly impressed with the young people being so confident entering a ‘Dragons’ Den’ type environment to pitch. I’m sure that from the process they’ll have picked up some pointers for the future.”

Councillor Roger Grant, chairman of the Council’s Planning, Housing and Environment committee, said, “The Kirkcudbright Academy company Kaizen was an outstanding example of the region’s young entrepreneurs. Their chosen products had been thoroughly researched and developed and the time and effort put into making them was particularly impressive.”

Kaizen attended Scotland’s Christmas Fair in the Royal Concert Halls, Glasgow, in December and was represented by 6 members of the company: Michael Chadband, Charles Houston, Duncan Lowe, Lois Paton, Hamish Waddell and Joy Wishart. They were accompanied by Young Enterprise Scotland link teacher Sarah Carnegie.

Kaizen sold 100 of its Family Favourites cookbooks and handmade aprons. Sarah Carnegie said, “Everyone in Kaizen worked extremely hard on product development. From family and friends they obtained recipes that they collated for a professionally printed cookbook. All of the handmade aprons were made using recycled fabric as the partners in the company wanted to have an environmental aspect to their products.

Through the Young Enterprise Scotland Challenge the participants learned skills, which include negotiating, product development, marketing, and presentation.”

Well done everyone!