Garth Super Troopers Win An Award At National Enterprise Competition

Garth Primary School has won the Team Spirit Award at the national final of the Welsh Government’s ‘Enterprise Troopers’ competition. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Year six pupils Carys Evans, Isobel Tarr, Demi-Leigh Price and Phoebe Simmons made up the ‘Garth Super Troopers’ team who competed at the final held at The Dr. Who Centre in Cardiff Bay. The team did a fantastic job demonstrating to four judges from the business world how they set up their business selling ‘Scrabble Art decorations’ and ‘Reindeer Hot Chocolate’ after the school created an Enterprise Club for key stage two students. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Prior to the competition, the school had held a ‘Dragon’s Den’ inspired session where the Garth Super Troopers pitched their ideas to Headteacher Julie Thomas, gaining them an investment of £30 to help them start up. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Headteacher Julie Thomas said: “They paid the initial investment back following the Halloween disco in which they sold ‘scary hot dogs’ and ‘poison drinks’. This also gave them funding to buy the necessary resources for their products and business. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“From there they developed a business plan, did lots of market research, worked out all the necessary costings, calculated their predicted profit and created resources to help them market and sell their products.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

After creating the products, the team promoted the business to other pupils and their parents through text messages, posters, and order forms sent home. They also used school assemblies and concerts as opportunities to market the business and made a healthy profit of £417 from this initial trading, some of which has funded new tag rugby bibs for the school and a donation to the Urdd Eisteddfod 2017 fund. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Julie added: “The enthusiasm, energy and commitment of the girls was extremely impressive and we knew that the Enterprise Troopers competition would be an excellent platform for them to showcase their hard work and effort and to demonstrate the skills they had acquired from being involved in entrepreneurial activity.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

On the day of the national final, the team presented to the audience and outlined to the judges the skills they had cultivated in the process of creating and developing their business such as motivation, setting and achieving goals, working co-operatively, generating ideas and solving problems. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The team impressed the judges as well as Minister for Economy, Edwina Hart, with their passion, knowledge and entrepreneurial skills to achieve the ‘Team Spirit’ award. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Bridgend County Borough Council’s Deputy Leader, Councillor Huw David, said: “I’d like to congratulate the Garth Super Troopers team on winning this top national award and also recognise staff at the school for creating the Enterprise Club and supporting the pupils by giving them the opportunity to gain these superb skills. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Garth’s Enterprise Club is already working on a new business idea for the next Enterprise Troopers competition, with the ‘Super Trooper’ girls sharing their ideas and what they have learnt from the process with classmates. I’m looking forward to seeing more great initiatives to come from the successful young entrepreneurs at the school.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​