Lisneal College's pupil entrepreneurs excel

Students from Lisneal College were in celebratory form this week, taking home two of the top awards at the Young Enterprise Awards.
Members of the Keepsakes company from  Lisneal College who picked up the Disney Creativity Award in the Company Category.Members of the Keepsakes company from  Lisneal College who picked up the Disney Creativity Award in the Company Category.
Members of the Keepsakes company from Lisneal College who picked up the Disney Creativity Award in the Company Category.

The school were among three companies from Londonderry celebrating success at the prestigious awards; the others were The Playtrail and North West Regional College. The Fairy Creative Company from The Playtrail took home the award for the Best Overall Company in the Young Enterprise Team Programme, while Emma O’Kane from ‘Sow it, Grow it’ at The Playtrail was joint winner of the Young Entrepreneur award. The NWRC company ‘Appmosphere’, won the award for Best Overall Start Up Company.

‘Keepsakes’ from Lisneal College scooped the Disney Creativity Award at the awards ceremony, which was held at Belfast City Hall on Thursday night last. The award recognises a particularly innovative and creative business idea.

And the Lisneal College success story did not stop there, as Keepsakes member Josh Donnell took home the title of ‘Entrepreneur of the Future’. This award involves a business pitch to a panel of judges and recognises individual entrepreneurial potential.

Josh Donnell  Lisneal College (Stage)  Entrepreneur of the Future in Company CategoryJosh Donnell  Lisneal College (Stage)  Entrepreneur of the Future in Company Category
Josh Donnell  Lisneal College (Stage)  Entrepreneur of the Future in Company Category

Keepsakes company developed a range of handmade and bespoke gifts made from clay that can be designed for any occasion and tailored to the customer’s requests.

The company set up stall at The Big Market in St George’s Market before Christmas, where they beat off competition from 70 other companies to be awarded the ‘Best Overall Company’, which proved a strong starting point to build on for the rest of the Programme.

The Young Enterprise Company Programme runs every year in schools across Northern Ireland.