An enterprising teenager from Burnley has been awarded a bursary to help him grow a business he set up with fellow school pupils.
Brandon Evans, 14, created and sold pottery hearts to the public on Valentines Day earlier this year with support from four classmates from The Rose School in Burnley. The project was monitored by local artist Linda Erliz, who encouraged Brandon and his friends to lead on the project. Following his efforts,Brandon received a bursary from the Pennine Lancashire Youth Enterprise Fund after being nominated by Deputy Head Liz Rezvani.
The bursary will help his team learn important business skills and develop Christmas tree decorations to sell later this year. The Youth Enterprise Fund established by Regenerate Pennine Lancashire awards bursaries to young people aged between 14 and 25 in Pennine Lancashire who show enterprising behaviour. The Youth Enterprise Fund was launched in 2011 with the support of Community Foundation for Lancashire after Regenerate won the North West title of Enterprising Britain.
Brandon Evans said: “I’ve been interested in art since year 7, particularly clay models. No two models are alike, which is why they appeal to customers too. I learnt a lot about developing an idea, how to set up a stall in Burnley town centre and how to be a good salesman. I even had a say in how to price the hearts.
“I can now look forward to learning more about running a business in the run up to Christmas, thanks to the bursary. I’d like to run my own business when I am older as I like making my own decisions”.
Liz Rezvani said: “I nominated Brandon for the award because of the school’s faith in him and the project. He is a great representative of the school and an example to the pupils here. I’m glad we have been able to offer him an opportunity that other students may not get. All profits Brandon makes will go into future projects, so we hope pupils benefit from this for many years.”
Steve Hoyle, Managing Director of Regenerate Pennine Lancashire said: “We are pleased to be able to offer Brandon and his friends this opportunity. We hope they continue to grow and become enterprise champions in Pennine Lancashire.”
