NEWS
King James I Academy pupils celebrate first place in the 2024 Future Business Magnates competition .
FUTURE MAGNATES
Eco bins and fridge cameras among young entrepreneurs ’ ingenious creations
A
bin capable of weighing food waste and encouraging recycling and composting was the winning entry in an innovation competition for young entrepreneurs . The annual County Durham Future Business Magnates competition saw Year 8 pupils from local schools apply creativity and problem-solving to a range of challenges .
Organised by Business Durham , the business support service of Durham County Council , this year ’ s theme was ‘ What a Wonderful World – Can you Make it Better ?’. And after an exciting finale at Hardwick Hall , pupils from King James I Academy took first place overall with their ‘ Smart Weigh ’ business .
Their ingenious concept is based on an ecofriendly bin that can weigh food waste , with users then earning points according to how much of the waste is recycled or composted .
Runners-up , Belmont Community School , came up with ‘ TechC ’, a camera installed inside people ’ s fridges to monitor the shelf life of products .
Framwellgate School ’ s team bagged third place for their educational ‘ ShoreSavers ’ package , designed to teach primary school children about protecting the earth ’ s oceans . Cllr Joan Nicholson , chair of Durham County Council , said : “ The competition is in its 19th year and brings together the energy and creativity of our young people and the experience and guidance of our business community .
“ Our young people get to show off their entrepreneurial talents by coming up with business proposals that are then judged by an expert panel of business leaders .
“ It ’ s an inspirational event and a great opportunity for all involved to make valuable connections .
“ It all serves to lay a strong foundation for the future success of County Durham ’ s next generation of business leaders .”
In addition to the overall winners , the special category winners were as follows :
Wolsingham School ( Brian Manning Award for Best Use of Networks ); North Durham Academy ( Best Prototype and Design and Best Business Plan ); Dene Academy ( Best Logo and Slogan ); Durham High School ( Most Effective Team ); Bishop Barrington School ( Most Innovative Idea ); St John ’ s Catholic School ( Most Investment Ready Business ); Belmont Community School ( Best Presentation ); and Woodham Academy ( Most Resilient Team ).
The County Durham Future Business Magnates event was supported by sponsors , mentors , and community partners including Co-op , Erwin Hymer , Robertson Homes , and Waterstons .
To find out more about getting involved in the County Durham Future Business Magnates , visit futurebusinessmagnates . co . uk .
BUSINESS BRIEFS
VISITOR BOOST Latest tourism figures show a major boost for Durham ’ s economy as the county builds on its bumper £ 1bn milestone achieved in 2022 , with new attractions playing a key role in helping the county reach a new record .
Visit County Durham , the county ’ s Destination Management Organisation and Durham County Council ’ s tourism service , has welcomed the results which show visitor expenditure rose by 18.8 per cent in 2023 , with the value of the county ’ s visitor economy hitting £ 1.23bn .
COFFEE POD RECYCLING Coffee pods can now be recycled at four locations in County Durham as part of a trial scheme .
Durham County Council is offering coffee pod recycling bins at its Horden , Potterhouse Lane , Stainton Grove , and Tudhoe household waste recycling centres .
The council is running the scheme in partnership with specialist coffee pod recycling service , Podback , and HW Martin , which manages the centres .
£ 100m HOUSING PLAN A £ 100m project to deliver hundreds of new council houses across County Durham has taken a major step forward with the appointment of a delivery partner .
Durham County Council is planning to provide 500 properties - a mix of bungalows and houses that will be truly affordable and let on secure tenancies - and has appointed Bishop Auckland company T Manners to help deliver them .
‘ GOOD ’ RATING The provision of adult social care in County Durham has been rated as “ good ” following a recent assessment by the Care Quality Commission ( CQC ).
The report praises staff at Durham County Council for how well they meet their responsibilities to ensure people have access to adult social care and support .
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