THE RECLAIMERS HIT THE MARK AT NATIONAL PITCH

A Group of students from the Carpentry and Joinery Department at Stockport College were one of 11 groups from FE Colleges around the country to attend NACUE’s Innovation Fund pitching day at the Google Campus in London November 20th.

The National Association of Colleges and University Entrepreneurs (NACUE) is a nationwide network of student societies taking positive action to create an enterprising generation. NACUE directly support the creation of enterprise societies in education institutions throughout the UK; organise regular events where students can learn from each other, and is a national advocate for students in discussions of employment and education.

         College students Michael Hurst (pictured left) and Mark
         Fitzgerald – known as The Reclaimers – both 25 had an
         opportunity to pitch for a £5000 fund to help them
         develop the student Enterprise Society at the College.
         Their business idea is to reclaim the waste wood from
         the Carpentry and Joinery Department and produce and
         sell small wooden items such as animal door stops,
         bird boxes, animal houses and chopping boards, as
         well as selling sacks of wood for use in real fires and
         wood burning stoves.

         Head of Carpentry and Joinery Barry Goodwin said:

          “The staff within the Carpentry department were
          delighted to hear about the success of both Michael and
          Mark. It supports the fact that if you put the efforts into
          your studies. There is no goal that can’t be succeeded.”

          Not only were the Students successful in securing the
         £5000 award from NACUE, they were also judged as
         having the best business idea from an FE College.
         Indeed the judges commented that this was “the best
         venture we have seen all day with clear commercial
         viability”

Hushpreet Dhaliwal, NACUE Chief Executive, said:

“We’re proud to be able to support such great work at Stockport College and look forward to seeing them put their grant to good use. I understand the students’ idea so impressed our judges that they bought some of their products right there on the day.

“The students demonstrated the kind of infectious zeal and determination that we need to nurture in the UK.”