The first of a new quarterly event in St Neots to support young people discover the opportunities available to them following their formal education and beyond.
On Sunday 4th September, the “Next Step” event took place at Brook House in St Neots. The event was open to young entrepreneurs and school leavers aged between 16 and 24. This event is part of a wider mission by Curious Entrepreneurs with the support of St Neots Initiatives to help young people discover the options available after leaving school. The event was well attended, with many attendees pitching their business ideas to a panel of judges for a chance to win a cash prize.

The panellists (local entrepreneurs Alex Hughes, Paul Oggelsby, Harrison Leigh and Simon Squibb) were impressed with the level of creativity and innovation displayed by the participants. Seven pitchers walked away with £350 to help them on their journey to becoming next-generation entrepreneurs.

“It was a prime example of a community reaction to a requirement for more support for young people making decisions about their future. It was encouraging to see so much passion coming from the next generation”.

Alex Hughes

Huntingdonshire District Council, Urban & Civic, RWE, Premier Plus, Click It Social, BIPC, Annafield, Fortus, Shift Momentum and The Purposeful Project. It was a huge community effort to make this event a huge success and is the start of a series of events that will take place quarterly.

One of the winners said

“Sunday’s experience was truly surreal and transformative for me. The positive messages from the panellists really transformed my opinion of myself and my ability, it made me realise I am not stuck and with the right attention and direction I can reach crazy heights. You made a young man believe in himself once more. It made me realise all entrepreneurs can help each other and the work you guys are doing is outstanding”

Johnny Crook, 22

Not only for the business minded, Form the Future was on hand to deliver career advice to those that felt a little derailed following their recent exam results. Plus, BIPC were there to provide access to free business resources and information about potential start-up funding opportunities. It was lovely to see them supporting the young people in need of help.

The aim is to organise quarterly “Next Step” events so that young people can access assistance throughout the year. That way, many more can enjoy the support of their local community.

More information about Curious Entrepreneurs and their Ignite Programme for 16-24 year olds

www.curiousentrepreneurs.co.uk.