Planting Joy

Sixth Form entrepreneurs have set up a brand dedicated to sustainability, quality and bringing joy as part of the Young Enterprise programme.

A group of ten Lower Sixth students have formed a small company, Lilac, whose first products are handmade, eco-friendly festive cards. They have produced seven stunning watercolour designs, printed onto special paper embedded with seeds; instructions on the back explain how the paper can be soaked in water then planted after use, growing back as flowers and herbs.  The packs of card sold out fast in the run up to the holidays, generating impressive profits.

“The project has taught me so many valuable lessons such as team work and organisation… we put in a lot of hard work, so I’m proud of how the successful the cards have been.” – Libe 

“It has been a great experience and I have learnt lots of useful business skills for the future.” – Emma 

“I’ve really enjoyed working in this team and glad we were able to create a product that is both environmentally conscious and festive.” – Stella 

The Young Enterprise charity aims to motivate young people to succeed in the changing world of work by equipping them with the work skills, knowledge and confidence they need; a business advisor from our local Barclays bank is also on hand to give advice.

Economics Teacher, Ms Thompson, oversees the students’ participation; she also leads an enterprise module for our Year 9 pupils as part of their weekly Mehr Licht enrichment programme, encouraging them to develop profitable and innovative ideas. This term, they have been developing and pitching their ideas for a new soft drink product.