Pupils shortlisted for entrepreneurial award for sustainable water bottle business

Students from Grove School in Shropshire are going head-to-head to be crowned West Midlands Young Enterprise Company of the Year tomorrow at the University of Worcester.

If they win they will go on to represent the area at the Young Enterprise UK Final in July in London.

The students’ company, Filtro, imports sustainable water bottles that filter as you drink. The team decided to import the bottles from China after finding that those manufactured in the UK are very expensive. They have already managed to sell over 50 bottles racking up a profit of £1000.

The team are taking part in Young Enterprise’s flagship Company Programme, which sees students set up and run real businesses with the support of business mentors.

Mubashir Amhed, MD of Filtro, said:

“We are so pleased at the opportunity of participating in the Company Programme. Our product tends to a huge environmental issue and through this we hope to create awareness about sustainable alternatives to plastic water bottles.

“Recycling just one plastic bottle saves enough energy to power a 60W light bulb for six hours. So if you buy a Filtro you’re saving 300 water bottles.

“Young Enterprise is an experience that is very rewarding. It takes hard work and determination and it teaches participants many essential life skills.”

 Jean Vivian, link teacher at Grove School, said:

“Young Enterprise has been a fantastic opportunity for the students to create their own business from scratch. I have seen them develop throughout the course of the programme, growing in confidence with each passing week becoming highly skilled and competent young entrepreneurs.

“I’m incredibly proud of their achievements so far and I’m really pleased that they will be continuing the business outside of the Young Enterprise Programme.”

 Michael Mercieca, CEO of Young Enterprise, said:

“We are really proud that young business minds from West Midlands will be showcasing their entrepreneurial talent.  We would like to congratulate Grove School for doing so well and reaching the regional final.

“The company programme brings out some of the finest young talent in the UK who compete with passion and drive. The students that compete create viable and scalable businesses, teaching giving them firsthand experience in learning some of the most valuable lessons in running a successful organisation.”