A group of Sydenham High School GDST students has won the opportunity to represent their school at the 2016 Ryman National Enterprise Challenge Finals this Summer.

The 2016 challenge saw Sydenham High’s winning Year 9 students – Anya Travassos, Francesca Curle, Laila Kyambadde, Martha Edwards, Lauren Asser and Georgia Coombes – create the ultimate school-based business under the company name SuppliesRUs.  With the tag line “You forget it, we have it”, the business would provide a vending machine holding a range of school necessities which might be left at home or could run out.

All Year 9 students spent an incredible day with the Ryman National Enterprise Challenge team, who helped them develop their ideas, focussing on their enterprise skills.

After pitching their ideas in the afternoon, the winning Sydenham High team will now attend the National Finals on 29 June, an exciting opportunity which was attended by around 1,300 individuals in 2015.

Over 30,000 students are expected to participate in 2016 The Ryman National Enterprise Challenge, which aims to help develop creative thinking, communication and group work amongst the academic skills that will assist students achieve their future ambitions.

Created in 2012 by patrons of the Ormiston Trust and cousins Ben and Michael Dyer, The Challenge addresses the deficit in work-related skills that are preventing young people from getting ahead in industry. By taking exciting challenges, devised by real businesses into schools, Ben and Michael’s initiative aims to showcase how the education children are receiving could be applied outside the classroom. The Ryman National Enterprise Challenge also receives tremendous support from business legend such as Theo Paphitis. Lord Alan Sugar has previously acted as an ambassador to the scheme.

For more details about the Ryman National Enterprise Challenge visit: www.nationalenterprisechallenge.co.uk