Friday 4 May 2012 A team of sixth form students from the Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) are savouring success after their preserves business scooped five awards at the Leeds Enterprise Advisory Programme (LEAP) annual awards. Having started their company ‘DELIcious’, from scratch and turned a profit in just seven months by selling locally sourced jams, chutneys and marmalades, the students showed they meant business at the recent awards ceremony. They won the top prize Westcom Networks Award for the Best LEAP Enterprise Company as well as awards for their marketing, trade stand, business administration and presentation. Aged just 16 and 17 the team members were new to the world of business. They describe the experience as a steep learning curve and a valuable personal development opportunity, with each individual taking on a key role that played to their strengths and interests, such as marketing, production, HR, sales and finance. As DELIcious Production Director Eilidh Campbell says, “We’ve found being part of a business hard work but really rewarding – from raising funds to buy stock and marketing materials at the start to developing an effective business strategy and getting our presentation right.” Beth Smith, Finance Director, adds, “It’s a great alternative to gaining work experience with an employer – we have learnt new skills by taking real responsibility for our own enterprise. We had to commit ourselves fully, the success of the business depended entirely upon what we put into it.” Karen Ward, Head of Business Studies at GSAL, said, “The LEAP programme offers students a terrific opportunity to gain hands on business experience, forming their own companies, producing a product or service for market and completing a company report including a detailed set of accounts. We have over 100 sixth formers involved, who in the process are learning skills which will be invaluable in their life beyond school.” The DELIcious team are pictured back row l-r: Bethany Smith, Charlotte Grafton, Sophie Kay, Holly Cohen; front row l-r: Eilidh Campbell, Polina Boynova, Caroline Scully GSAL was well represented in the LEAP programme with its students providing 12 of the 29 enterprise companies participating in the scheme from schools across West and North Yorkshire. This is the second year running that a GSAL company has won the Best LEAP Enterprise Company award. Awards went to other GSAL companies as follows: Westcom Networks Award for the Best LEAP Enterprise Company DELIcious The John Spencer Award for the Best Administered Company DELIcious The Dubit Prize for the Best Company Report 2012 First Prize House of Fudge, second Prize to DELIcious HSBC Best Presentation on 10th March 2012 First Prize to House of Fudge, second Prize to DELIcious TCS Best Marketing at all Trade Fairs 2011/12 First Prize to DELIcious, joint third prize to Mad and Revolution Westcom Networks Enterprise Award Second place to Edge LEAP Board Award for the Best Presentation at the Finals Second place to Revolution, third place to E-Co LEAP Board Award for the Best Trade Stand at the Finals First place to DELIcious, second place to House of Fudge The LEAP Board Award for the Best Business Plan First place to Mad The LEAP Board Award for the Best Designed by a LEAP Company First place to E-Co, second place to Desire, third place to DELIcious Munch award for Innovation First place to Simplicity for their water clocks, second place to Revolution for their use of sandwich board at trade fairs Clearsilver Media Awareness Award Second place to House of Fudge LEAP Board Award for the Most Improved Company First place to E-Co, third place to Desire Merrion Centre TCS Best Trade Stand at the Merrion Centre Second place DELIcious General Senior School Sixth Form News
