Young Enterprise Start-Ups Test the Market at Stratford
Fifteen businesses run by young people across the county trade at local market
Groupe Geraud, Europe’s largest provider of markets, welcomed fifteen additional market stalls run by school students to its popular Stratford-Upon-Avon Saturday market on 3rd December.
The small businesses were set up as part of Young Enterprise’s Company Programme, which gives students aged 15-19 the opportunity to run their own business for one year, with guidance from a skilled business mentor.
Colourful displays were set up alongside the Stratford Farmer’s and Crafts markets, and with the festive season coming up, offered visitors that chance to pick up unique gifts from jewellery and flower pots to candles and clocks.
The event aimed to give the students the chance to see professional market traders in action, whilst learning from each other, and interact directly with customers for the first time.
Rebecca Blasdale, Young Enterprise Manager for the region said:
“It was a brilliant opportunity to have fifteen of our Young Enterprise companies trading together at Stratford market.
The atmosphere was great, with some of the companies coming from schools as far as Rugby and Nuneaton to trade alongside like-minded people and pick up invaluable skills for their future endeavours.”
The event took place as part of an ongoing partnership between Groupe Geraud and Young Enterprise; individual companies from their Company Programme will continue to trade at the Stratford markets throughout December.
Lee Holt, Regional Operations Manager at Groupe Geraud said:
“It’s important for us to give back to the local community and the Young Enterprise Company Programme is an excellent way to bridge the gap between school and the world of work.
It’s fantastic to see the next generation of market traders enthusiastic about the business opportunities available to them; there was a real buzz on the day.”