Dog and cat lovers from the local area have helped Wilmslow High School's business students raise £1280 for East Cheshire Hospice and take first prize in this year's Manchester Airport Dragons Den competition.
The six year 10 students, with the support of their mentor Rob Sawyer from Manchester Airport, designed, sourced, produced and packaged hundreds of dog and cat treat bags which they marketed across the local area in recent weeks.
The Treatz team were particularly grateful to the local businesses that donated dog and cat products to help fill the bags and allowed them to set up their trade stand to create the sales. The students have spent evenings, Saturdays and Sundays presenting their concept to large groups of business people, engaging with the public at trade fairs and preparing their product.
Teacher Julia McHarg said "The judges, back in the den yesterday, commented on the evident teamwork that had been used to produce such a successful outcome and congratulated the team on their hard work. As winners of the Manchester Airport Dragons Den 2014 the students are treated to VIP treatment – being collected from school by limosine and taken to dinner and an evening of theatre at Salford Lowry – so it isn't just the dogs and cats of Wilmslow who have had a treat this Christmas."
Rob Sawyer said: "It has been a pleasure mentoring the team - to be honest they have been so motivated and organised - with support from Mrs McHarg - that my role has been minimal. I was impressed with the product that the team devised - it is the first time that a Dragons Den team has come up with a pet-related item. I'm sure that all six team members have benefitted from the experience, perhaps they will be inspired to become entrepreneurs upon leaving school.
"It is also fantastic that a deserving local cause, in East Cheshire Hospice, will receive such a large sum of money."
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