My colleague Chris Chambers, who is a Senior Enterprise Ambassador at our Education Business Partnership, sent me this after the brilliant Showcase and Celebration Event last week at the Garforth Holiday Inn...

"Hi Chris, Thank you for attending the 'Showcase and Celebration Event: Social Enterprise Flying High!' at the Holiday Inn last week. The day was enjoyed by over 100 students; 32 local business people and 34 teachers. The day was fantastic although many of us ended the day with less money than we started with due to the entrepreneurial prowess of the young people we are working with. The winners were:

• Best Stand Primary - All Saints C of E Primary School
• Best Stand Secondary - Primrose High School
• Best Marketing Primary - All Saints C of E Primary School
• Best Marketing Secondary - Primrose High School
• Best Team Primary - Middleton St Mary's and Middleton St Philips
• Best Team Secondary - South Leeds Academy
• Best Customer Service Primary - Beeston Primary
• Best Customer Service Secondary - City Of Leeds
• Special Enterprise Award Primary - Ingram Road Primary
• Special Enterprise Award Secondary - Harry Claydon - South Leeds Academy
• Social Enterprise of the Year Primary - All Saints C of E Primary
• Social Enterprise of the Year Secondary - City Of Leeds
• Young Entrepreneur of the Year Primary - Megan Higgins (All Saints C of E Primary School)
• Young Entrepreneur of the Year Secondary - Holly Bilby (Primrose High School)

Thanks again, Chris."

The future requires us all to be even more creative and imaginative and to develop social enterprises in our schools which meet the needs of local communities and provide real opportunities for our young people to run small businesses. We need to encourage and support our children and young people to be entrepreneurial and to give them the skills, attitudes and belief to succeed in the constantly changing world of work. It was brilliant to see the work Chris and the team have nurtured, encouraged and supported with these young people who are so enthusiastic about their business ideas which included an art gallery, button beads, super saints journal, ration shop, flash 'n' snap, ginger enjoyment, fruit saloon, treatz for you, helping hands and young talent coaches. Whatever the budget brings the future is going to be bright with these talented young people.

Chris