Student entrepreneurs named Rookie Champions at national awards

A team of students from Northumbria University’s Newcastle Business School has been crowned with the Rookie Champion Title at the 2017 Enactus UK National Competition.

Enactus is a worldwide organisation providing a platform for outstanding university students to use their entrepreneurial skills on special projects to improve the lives of those most in need. The second year students only set up an Enactus Society at Northumbria just under a year ago, and are one of the newest 56 UK University teams. They include Entrepreneurial Business Management students

Jonny Forsey, Megan Dawson and Jonny Tatlow, International Business students Louise Fletcher and Ellie begs, and Sociology student Charlie Dutton-Brearley.

Each year, teams compete in the annual competition at ExCeL London where they present a 17-minute presentation of their work. This year, the event brought together 750 University students, 60 academics, and over 350 senior UK business leaders across two days of celebration and collaboration.

Northumbria’s team focused on two projects.  Soup Stories is an exciting new food enterprise that aims to give refugees the confidence to start up their own businesses through selling soup. The other project, Second Coat, aims to reduce the re-offending rate in the North East of England by providing employment for ex-offenders through painting and decorating.

Enactus Judges, ranging from graduate employers to top business leaders, review which teams have best used entrepreneurial action to empower lives in an environmentally, socially and sustainable way.

Jonny Forsey, President of Enactus at Northumbria, said: “The competition was a great opportunity to meet like-minded student entrepreneurs; all of whom want to make a positive impact on the world.  Having had the support from both the Student Union and Newcastle Business School we were able to attend the competition and in front of over 1000 student and business leaders won the Rookie Champions!”

Kellie Forbes-Simpson, the teams University Adviser said: “This is a fantastic achievement for the team and Newcastle Business School, putting Northumbria on the map in front of some of the top UK gradate employers and business leaders, showcasing the abilities and talents of our students.”

To find out more about Northumbria’s Enactus team please visit: www.enactusnorthumbria.org