Students’ sugar rush turns a profit

A group of A Level students at Derby College Group’s Joseph Wright Centre have launched an innovative confectionary business called Sugar Rush as part of the national Young Enterprise company programme.

Led by managing director Sam Gridley-Kirk (17), the seven-strong team have sourced some of the USA’s favourite sweets which they have packaged into gift boxes and bags.

As well as selling them to fellow students at JWC, the Sugar Rush team have attended pop up markets organised by Young Enterprise and are soon to launch their products via their own website and social media platforms.

Sugar Rush will trade until July and the group are planning to donate profits made to charity.

Sam, a former pupil at West Park School in Spondon, is studying Business, Law, Politics and Criminology.

A keen entrepreneur, he already has business experience having worked for several companies to strengthen their social media presence and was voted into the top job by his fellow students.

Sam said: “This has been a great experience – enabling us to put the business theory into practice. It has also given us all a lot more confidence and it will be a good addition to our CVs.

“The team have been amazing and are really motivated to making an overall profit by the end of the Young Enterprise programme in July.

“We each put £20 into the business at the start so that we could source the American sweets from wholesalers and we are about to put in our second big order as sales have gone so well over the Easter period.

“Moving forwards, we will be selling right up until the end of term.”

Business and Economics A Level teacher Jaz Dhami-Banvait continued: “The Young Enterprise company programme is a great enrichment activity for our year one students – enabling them to gain the practical business experience, enterprising mindset and employability skills for the future.

“The Sugar Rush team have achieved a great deal so far and have worked together to problem solve and be innovative. We look forward to seeing the end results.”

For more information and to order Sugar Rush products, visit this link.