Students find sweet recipe for success

The nine pupils who devised the Pink range of chocolate were among some 80 Bognor Regis Community College sixth formers who took part in an enterprise competition.

The eight groups had to pitch their ideas around chocolate to an Apprentice-style board of business experts.

The final three were subject to a further grilling by the 11 mentors about the marketing and design of their products before the winning entry was chosen.

All those on the Pink group were working hard to ensure they were successful.

Samantha Rogers (17), who had just completed three AS levels, explained the idea behind their chocolates in the shape of a pink ribbon was to combine indulgence with a conscience.

"We didn't want just to be making chocolate. We wanted to make it to raise money for a cause.

"Because there are seven women in the group, and because we all feel strongly about breast cancer, it seemed the obvious cause to us," she said.

Team mate Lucy Rounds (17), with four AS levels behind her, added: "Women like chocolate. It makes you feel good."

The pink chocolates would be filled with toffee, caramel and other fillings and sold in boxes.

College assistant headteacher Sandy Meyers said: "This competition is all about teamwork and showing the pupils what is involved in running a company."

The business people who formed the board, complete with a Sir Alan Sugar lookalike, were:

Chris Shephard (Arun District Council economic development), Jan Barnes (Game Set and Match), Emma Foster (Mace Group), Jonathan Pall (West Sussex County Council), Keir Dellan (Capitalise Business Support), Alison Terry (Personal Finance Education Group), Chris Dancer (University of Chichester), Gareth Sear (Business Link Enterprise Gateway), Heather Botting, Frazer Hossack, Richard Drake (all Barclays local business).

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