A different type of trader will be operating at London’s Borough Market on Wednesday 14th July, as Southwark’s Young Entrepreneurs return for their fifth year.
Charter East Dulwich and Charter North Dulwich secondary schools each have two teams selling their goods at the Market, which were selected by Southwark Educations Business Alliance part of Southwark Council’s Business Links Officer, Zubair Patel and teachers from both secondary schools.
Tasked with designing a product that would successfully sell at the Market and make a profit (excluding food and drink), the programme – run by Southwark Council in partnership with Borough Market – aims to teach year 10 pupils invaluable enterprise skills.
Following a series of workshops where pupils cover how to brainstorm, create business and financial plans, and learn about marketing and trading standards, the students were asked to create a product that had to either be made from recycled or sustainable materials, or have a personalised touch.
The winning projects selected to be sold at Borough Market include pendants made from recycled pewter, handmade bucket hats made from recycled clothes, personalised cotton tote bags featuring wildlife designs, and a range of vibrant tie dye T-shirts. All profits made by the pupils will be donated to their chosen charities, including Trees for Cities, Sealife Trust and London Wildlife Trust.
To mark the opening of the pop-up stalls, the Mayor of Southwark, Councillor Barrie Hargrove, will be joining the winning pupils to congratulate them on their achievement to sell at one of London’s oldest Markets.
Darren Henaghan, Managing Director at Borough Market, said: “Borough Market/s traders are very successful entrepreneurs and we are proud to be in a position where we can offer young people in our local community the opportunity to get a taster of what it is like to set up their own business. By immersing themselves in the hustle and bustle of one of London’s most famous Markets, we hope the experience encourages pupils to try and build a business of their own from scratch one day.”
Zubair Patel, Business Links Officer at Southwark Council, added: “It is always so rewarding to see how much young people get out of this experience each year. From the first workshop through to the sale day, we see so many pupils come out of their shell and gain a confidence they did not know they had in them. And after a year of isolated, online learning to then go and sell an idea of theirs in one of the world’s best markets, is by no means a small feat.”
The Southwark Young Entrepreneurs Programme is run by Southwark Education Business Alliance part Southwark Council in partnership with Borough Market. 80 pupils go through the programme every year, with 30 shortlisted to sell their products in Borough Market each year.
