Aspiring entrepreneurs from a West Norfolk school were put through their paces in a series of Dragons’ Den-style workshops which featured a ‘green’ twist.

Nearly 300 Year 10 students at Springwood High School in King’s Lynn took part in the event, which was run by Youth Climate Solutions, a Norfolk-based environmental education and consultancy enterprise founded by University of East Anglia student Jaz Brook.

“Their aim is to create a more climate-conscious future, by educating pupils through school visits and interactive workshops, engaging businesses, and conducting introductory climate audits with local councils,” explained Agnieszka Munns, who is Environmental Lead at Springwood and arranged the event.

Working in groups, the Springwood students were tasked with designing a product or service to address a social or environmental issue, which they then pitched to a panel of ‘experts’ in a Dragons’ Den-type presentation, complete with supporting displays.

“A consistent theme which ran through the workshops was to highlight to students the potential for environmental factors to be included in business models and entrepreneurial initiatives,” continued Mrs Munns.

“After discussing different options, student groups were encouraged to focus on what they considered to be their most interesting or useful idea. The idea was then developed practically, taking into account the different factors and broader implications that might affect its feasibility.

“Some of the students’ ideas included standardised plastic bottle recycling facilities that rewarded the donors, and varieties of oceanic plastic removal equipment.”

Article can be found on the Radio West Norfolk website.