Environmental Enterprise Challenge GEW 2012

100 twelve and thirteen year olds from Malet Lambert School in East Hull took part in the Hull Environmental Enterprise Challenge at The Exchange Wilberforce Court. The students were given a secret brief to come up with a business idea and then promote this to a group of judges chaired by former BBC Apprentice star Ruth Badger. Students chosen for the activity were from a variety of abilities but had already demonstrated enterprising skills by showing a positive attitude, punctuality and good attendance in school. As an ice breaker the students had to build a free standing tower out of string, spaghetti and tape and place marshmallow on the top the winning team were given a small prize from John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank.

Working in groups of five, students had to decide on roles including managing director, finance, IT, marketing & PR as they had to take on the role of top-flight marketing consultants to design an App for an iPhone in order to promote Hull and encourage people to be environmentally friendly? At the start of the challenge the students were told about how smart phones and tablets are in society with many people owning some type of handheld device and that it is said there is an app for everything.

From news to weather and business to pleasure, Apps allow people to have instant access to array of information or entertain at a touch of a button. As the students developed their concepts the Judges were looking at the App and concept the students came up with as well looking at how each team used the ‘Big 13’ enterprise skills


Students then had to explain their idea, design a marketing campaign, calculate the cost of both making the product and selling it and finally, identify a target market. Following these deliberations, and most challenging of all, they had to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges from local organisations.

The Judges were:

Dr Elaine McMahon CBE Chief Executive & Principal Hull College Group
Neil Hudgell Managing Director of Neil Hudgell Solicitors
Jenny Longden City Works Training
John Readman Hull City Council
Ruth Badger
John Meehan Owner Meehan Media & Comms



Six teams presented their ideas to the judges. The teams were as follows:

1st Place - THE HOME DESIGN members were Daniel Green, Finley Grannon, Charlie Cooper, Ryan Tyso - £250 sponsored by Neil Hudgell Solicitors

2nd Place - ECO TECH members were William Smith, Robert Rispin, Ban Sanderson, William Shaw - £125 sponsored by KC

3rd Place - THE ONLY WAY IS HULL members were Jasmine Rushworth, Ellie Haughton, Millie Jacobs, Naomi Suter, Olivia Limon - £80 sponsored by Xuro Computers

4th Place - THE GEEKS members were Jack Naulls, Darren Tailor, Phoebe Oglesby, Kiera Birch - £50 sponsored by St Stephens

5th Place - GLOBAL ZOOM members were Amy Harrison, Emma Newmarch, Larissa Powell, Jessica Bennett, Elise Kates - £50 sponsored by The Exchange

6th Place - ECO & FRIENDLY members were Holly Satchwell, Matty Hayward, Talia Blain, Charlotte Fowler, Leah Hobley - £50 sponsored by Hull Training

At the end of the event, all teachers, students and business volunteers were asked to complete an evaluation, the results of which clearly showed that the event had been a success. Teachers in particular felt that the event had significantly developed students’ enterprise capabilities as set out in Hull’s Big 13 Enterprise Skills. The winner of £20 in vouchers at this event for completing the evaluation was Millie aged 13.

Other Highlights

All the students received a copy of Green growth, blue horizons produced by Hull & East Yorkshire Bondholders

Oliver Stephens and James Tether set up Enviro-Hull at the end of day that create's money in an environmental way with new twitter site @EnviroHull

There was some inspiring interaction between students and members of the local business community as well as with international business guru and former BBC Apprentice star Ruth Badger.

The Art Department of Malet Lambert School and the Green Queens presented Ruth with a life paper mache size model of “The Badger”

All students were encouraged to twitter their experience on the day via @GEWHULL @GEWUK #GEWHULL #FutureHull and #GEWUK


Ruth Badger said


“It was a privilege to start Hull’s Global Entrepreneurship Week Celebrations and work with pupils from Malet Lambert School who certainly were very innovative and enterprising throughout the day, they clearly demonstrate why Hull is such an enterprising place. I was also honoured to receive the “Badger” model made by pupils at the School even though it does make me look stern.”