A group of Year 12 students from Ysgol John Bright in Llandudno has won the Young Enterprise Wales Company Programme final in Swansea, scooping both the Best Company and Innovation awards.
The team is now headed to the UK national finals in Cardiff on June 3.
The seven students behind Zestee, an innovative enterprise that manufactures biodegradable golf tees made from tangerine peel waste, beat five other schools from across Wales to claim the top prizes at the Welsh regional final.
Tilly, Zestee Financial Director, said:
“I'm so proud of everything our team has put into this. Reaching the finals of the UK Young Enterprise Awards is more than we ever expected. We're really looking forward to going to Cardiff.”
The team, made up of David, Marta, Tilly, James, Crystal, Austin, and Eren have been guided by Danielle Hicks and Lauren Barlow, first won the North Wales regional round in March before progressing to the national Welsh stage. Their concept of turning tangerine peel into sustainable, planet-friendly golf tees, impressed judges with its creativity, commercial thinking, and environmentally friendly approach.
The Cardiff finals will be the first time the UK-wide Young Enterprise nationals have been held in Wales. Zestee will go up against the best young enterprise teams from across the United Kingdom, with a place at the European finals in Latvia on the line for the overall winner.
Hywel Parry, headteacher at Ysgol John Bright, said:
“Zestee have come up with an innovative, environmentally aware idea and developed it into a marketable product. As a school we are so proud of their teamwork, creativity and ingenuity which has seen them crowned Welsh champions.
“These students show the school at its best – working together, innovating and ultimately achieving beyond their wildest ambitions. We are hugely proud of their achievements.”
Zestee's journey through Young Enterprise has seen the team manage every aspect of running a real company, from product development and manufacturing to marketing, budgeting and pitching to judges. The students have built and maintain an active presence on Facebook, Instagram and their own website, where Zestee tees are available to purchase.
Cyng Aaron Wynne, Cabinet Member for Education, said:
“All of us here at Conwy County Borough Council would like to extend our sincere congratulations to the pupils and staff involved. Getting to the finals of the UK Young Enterprise Awards is a massive achievement, and these young people are a great example of the talent we have across all our schools in Conwy.”
