Young entrepreneurs of the future to show off their business talent at a special trade fair in Derry

Derry's young business stars will show off their entrepreneurial skills at an event in the city this week.

Young Enterprise students from the North West area will be setting up shop at Foyleside Shopping Centre and Retail Park on Friday, February 3, from 10am to 1.30pm.

The young people will showcase their products they have created and developed as a business as part of a Young Enterprise programme.

Young Enterprise is a charity which aims to promote entrepreneurial skills among schoolchildren.

On the day, the students will not only have to impress customers, but also a panel of judges, with a variety of awards up for grabs.

Aidan O’Kane from Allstate NI judged at the Trade Fair last year.

“If today’s young people are tomorrow’s entrepreneurs and wealth creators, judging by the talent on display at the Trade Fair, we can all be very optimistic about what the future has in store.

“It only took a few minutes walking around the stalls to get a palpable sense of the energy and drive that only young people can bring to such an event.

“These students benefited greatly from the whole journey they had taken over the past few months, from initial product conception right through to getting their product to market.

“Our young people are by far our greatest asset and to be part of the Trade Fair, having that chance to interact with some of our future business leaders was a privilege.”

Young Enterprise Chief Executive, Carol Fitzsimons, said: “We would like to invite friends and relatives of these exciting young entrepreneurs to come along and support their local Young Enterprise companies. Each year the standard at the regional trade fairs improves and we are looking forward to seeing what the companies have come up with.”

The schools and groups taking part in the Foyleside event are: Cathedral Youth Club; Knockavoe School & Resource Centre; Limavady Grammar School; Lisneal College (pictured above); Lumen Christi College; Omagh CBS; Rossmar School; Sandleford Special School; St Cecilia’s College; St Mary’s College; Strabane Academy; The Playtrail – ACT; and Thornhill College.