A young student from Derbyshire has impressed some of the UK’s leading business brains to be crowned a winner of Make Your Mark with a Tenner 2010. Scott Chapman, of Woodlands Community School in Allestree, beat off strong competition to win the Outstanding Individual award.
The competition, run by Enterprise UK, gives participants £10 and one month to turn their creative and enterprising ideas into businesses that make money and make a difference.
Scott, 11, was presented with the award by Oli Barrett, founder of the Make Your Mark with a Tenner competition. The award is given to the individual that the judges felt had demonstrated the most drive, determination and creativity.
Commenting on Scott’s performance, Oli Barrett said: “Scott sums up what Make Your Mark with a Tenner is all about. He had a great idea, he wasn’t afraid to take risks, he kept going in the face of adversity, he made money and he made a difference. When you meet him you know he’s one to watch and I wish him luck, whatever adventures await.”
Scott came up with the idea of producing Mother’s Day cards, with a personalised poem, which he wrote, designed and produced at home. He then sold these to family, friends and teachers at his school before approaching his local Sainsbury’s supermarket in Chaddesden, where he was allowed to sell his cards in store, which helped him make an total of £537.51 from his original £10 note.
James Little, store manager at Sainsbury’s Chaddesden, said: “This was a great cause so when Scott first approached us we were more than happy to help. Scott’s poems were a real hit with both colleagues and customers alike. He is a budding entrepreneur and poet laureate all rolled into one!”
This year funding from the Big Lottery Fund enabled thousands more students to get involved, with around 28,000 students taking part. Mick McGrath, the Big Lottery Fund’s Head of Region – East Midlands, said: “Make Your Mark with a Tenner has proven the value of a £10 note. It might not sound a lot but to the students, who are given the chance to do something with it, it’s very empowering and I hope they go onto bigger and better things.”
Make Your Mark with a Tenner was co-founded by serial entrepreneur Oli Barrett and Enterprise UK, which runs Make Your Mark. Financial backers include;
- The Big Lottery Fund, giving a grant of £250,000 in 2010
- Entrepreneur and Chairman of Enterprise UK, Peter Jones
- The founders of Bebo – Michael and Xochi Birch
- Andrew Reynolds, entrepreneur and original funder of Make Your Mark with a Tenner
-ENDS-
Issued on behalf of Enterprise UK by Lava. For further information please contact Steph at Lava on 01522 842 800 / 07870 567 968 or steph@lavapr.co.uk
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Notes to editors:
About Make Your Mark with a Tenner
Make Your Mark with a Tenner is a national enterprise competition run by Enterprise UK which during March 2010 loaned £240,000 of £10 notes to more than 28,000 young people and challenged them to make as much profit and social impact as they could in just one month.
In 2010 judging was spread across three categories (under 11s, 11-14, and 14-19 year olds) and prizes awarded for highest profit, most social impact, and best business idea. All students took part in the competition will receive a certificate outlining the skills they have developed, while the winners will each win atrophy, £100 to encourage them to progress their idea and a visit from an entrepreneur.
It is part of the Make Your Mark campaign to increase entrepreneurial behavior among young people. Make Your Mark is run by Enterprise UK which gives people the skills, confidence and ambition to be enterprising. It has four programmes of work promoting enterprise for now and for the future, globally and locally.
www.enterpriseuk.org/tenner
The 2010 judges were:
- Oli Barrett, Make Your Mark with a Tenner co-founder and serial entrepreneur
- Michael Smith, co-founder of Firebox and the man behind Mind Candy and Moshi Monsters – an educational entertainment website for kids
- Caroline Marsh, one of the UK’s leading female property investors who appeared on C4’s Secret Millionaire
- Richard Cree, Editor of Director Magazine
- Richard Strudwick, Enterprise UK’s Head of Secondary Education
About Oli Barrett
Oli Barrett is a serial entrepreneur based in London and is the co-founder of Make Your Mark with a Tenner, run by Enterprise UK, in which school pupils are given £10 and have one month to see what they can achieve. He brought the concept of ‘Speednetworking’ to the UK and has hosted literally hundreds of events bringing business people together across the world. In 2008, he ‘Speednetworked the Globe’ visiting and speaking in 12 countries in a month, as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, sponsored by IBM and Ernst and Young. He is a member of the UK Prime Minister’s Council on Social Action, and helped to create the Catalyst Awards, presented by the Prime Minister, to celebrate the ways in which the web can be a force for good in local communities. A love of technology prompted Oli to co-found WebMission, an annual trip in which 20 leading UK web entrepreneurs visit Silicon Valley to explore opportunities. This year, Clean and Cool Mission will take 20 companies serving the low-carbon economy on a similar trip. He has helped to found and launch several companies including the world’s largest language learning exchange (sold in 2008) and even a sock subscription website. Oli has written for publications including the Daily Telegraph and The Spectator and writes a regular column for Growing Business magazine.
About Big Lottery Fund
The Big Lottery Fund distributes half of the National Lottery good cause funding across the UK. The Fund is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need.
