Budding young entrepreneurs were choosing their future this week as they headed to Croydon’s street market to kick-start their careers – watch the video.
The 11 young people from across the borough pooled their resources and joined forces to man stalls at Surrey Street on Wednesday afternoon, selling confectionary to market shoppers.
The initiative was part of the Young Croydon Means Business boot camp. Organised by the council’s youth engagement team, it gives young people aged 14-19 the opportunity to develop enterprise knowledge, skills and experience across a range of topics. These include generating a business idea, marketing, branding, pitching, networking, communication, selling and evaluation of a product, services or other idea.
The project is part of the council’s Choose Your Future campaign, which helps young people to make positive life choices by providing them with opportunities. Young Croydon Means Business is part of a wider offer of summer activities for young people aged 8-19. Find out more about summer activities at the Young Croydon website.
St Mary’s pupil, Rebecca Oluwa, 14, explained: “Each of us have our own business idea that we want to put the money we make on the stalls towards. We have developed our own business plans and we’ve had training – my business idea is about helping people with children. I’ve definitely found it very useful and very productive.”
“It’s great to see these young people’s motivation and their fast developing business acumen! We can all be proud of Croydon’s young entrepreneurs. We hope that by providing them with training and skills, through our Choose Your Future campaign, they will be ready to take up all the many opportunities London’s growth borough has to offer.”
Councillor Alisa Flemming, cabinet member for children, young people and learning
