A competition has been launched challenging primary school pupils to create their own profitable business schemes.
The 50/50 Enterprise Competition will see the Liverpool City Region's pupils go up against each other starting with £50 seed funding, and local businesses are urged to help the teams of talented children.
In previous years, students devised schemes such as cake sales, plays, pyjama days, Christmas fairs, raffles, film and Bingo nights, football shoot-outs, toy sales and disco-dance parties.
All proceeds will go to the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation - the only UK charity dedicated to preventing the disease - with this year's competition set to begin on October 7.
Nick Hill, who’s coordinating the competition for the charity, said: “The 50/50 Enterprise Competition is a great opportunity for youngsters to show their ingenuity. If their idea is strong enough and they put in the work, there’s every chance they’ll succeed. What they choose to do is entirely up to them, providing it’s legal.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to have Parentapps as our headline sponsor. It’s a great fit, because they work closely with schools and parents, and they’re a textbook example of how to translate a simple idea into a practical solution for a real need and use that to build a thriving business."
Schools in Liverpool, St Helens, Knowsley and Halton have already signed-up to take part, and it remains open to entries from across Merseyside and Wirral.
It will be sponsored by Parentapps, a Liverpool-based company supplying apps and websites that enable schools and nurseries to communicate with parents directly.
Mr Hill said he would like more local businesses to share their expertise, adding: “We want people with experience of running businesses to become mentors to our young entrepreneurs.
“It would be wonderful if they could spare a little time to work with the schools and show the youngsters how make good decisions, how to market their schemes, and show a profit.
“This a great opportunity to bring schools and firms together and we hope it will inspire young people to go into business when they’re older. That would benefit the whole community."
Parentapps’ Managing Director, Kevin Clayton, said: “I’m really excited to be working with Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation on this project. Not only are we helping an amazing charity but we’re also looking forward to working with these young students to give them an insight into running their own business.
“As a child, I was always looking at ways to make money, such as minding cars on match days or making toffees to sell in school. If we can sow the seed of entrepreneurship at a such a young age then it may give the children something to aspire to as they progress through their education."
To sign up, visit: www.roycastle.org/enterprisecompetition .
