Post-primary schools across the Lisburn and Castlereagh area have been competing in the council’s ‘Blast Off’ programme over recent months. The winning team and school is Friends School, Lisburn for their business named ‘ReBorn’.
Blast Off is a youth entrepreneurial programme as part of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council’s Go Succeed initiative, which was delivered on its behalf by Young Enterprise NI.
Teams from Dundonald High School, Friends’ School Lisburn and Wallace High School took part in a recent pitching finale event at The House of Vic-Ryn. The judging panel took its time to deliberate and identified ‘ReBorn’ as the winner. The two runner-up teams were Cheeky Ceramics from Dundonald High School and ReVibe from Wallace High School.
Visiting their school to present their trophy, Alderman Amanda Grehan, Regeneration & Growth Chair at Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council said
“ReBorn impressed both the judges and audience with their heartfelt presentation, sharing the story behind their unique product - a memory blanket crafted from cherished, outgrown baby clothes. While the emotional connection of sentiment and nostalgia resonated, it was the team's incredible branding, originality of the product and delivery of their presentation that ultimately earned them top marks from the judges.”
Speaking about the other teams Alderman Grehan continued, “All the teams who presented on the day deserve recognition for their creativity, innovation and business acumen. We were incredibly impressed by the energy and enterprise displayed by the students at the pitching event.”
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council is proud of the success of the programme which saw high scores awarded for demonstrating exceptional teamwork, presentation skills, and the potential to make a significant impact in their local environment by including an element of recycling or upcycling in their product idea.
Freddie Harris, Area Manager for Young Enterprise NI said "The quality of some of the pitches was outstanding, and it is clear that many of these students have a bright future ahead in business. Their creativity and entrepreneurial spirit are truly inspiring."