Young Peterborough entrepreneurs seek national glory by impressing Facebook chief

Eleven pupils at Ken Stimpson Community School in Werrington will compete in the national final of the Young Enterprise competition after raising more than £4,500 since they began trading as Dynasty in September 2017.

The Year 12 pupils will now market their Activity Adventures series of educational activity books to Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer, who is helping to judge the final, as they compete against 13 other regional winners from the UK and Gibraltar.

The winners will represent the UK at the European final in Belgrade, Serbia.

Delighted Dynasty managing director Ben Wright said: “The team have worked exceptionally hard over the course of this year to become an extremely successful company and we hope that this continues as we head to the national finals.”

Dynasty is the first ever Peterborough team to make it to the national final and the pupils’ success marks the accumulation of 15 years of running Young Enterprise programmes for Kevin Abbott, the team’s centre lead who supports the “inspirational young people.”

He added: “Supporting a Peterborough team to reach the London final has been one of my teaching career goals. This group have every chance of winning the entire competition and I’m incredibly proud of each and every one of them.

“Dynasty and I wish to pay thanks to Ray Rankmore, our dedicated business adviser who has helped guide the team every step of the way.”

Dynasty has run Halloween and Christmas discos in school, sold seasonal hamper baskets and is currently organising the prom for Year 11 leavers, but its main income has come from Activity Adventures which is targeted at primary school age children.

The Raging Romans, Ancient Egyptians and Violent Vikings have proven to be a big success and are now on sale in Waterstones, Peterborough Museum and the Flag Fen gift shop, as well as on the students’ own website.

Young Enterprise is a nationwide competition involving more than 1,000 schools. BBC Breakfast will be filming the finalists on the morning on Friday, July 6, live from County Hall on the Southbank, and business reporter Steph McGovern will host the event.