Folkestone College Students Prepare to Impress TV Dragon

@EKCFolkestone students prepare to meet @dragonjones

Two Level 3 Enterprise and Entrepreneurship students from @EKC__Group Folkestone College are preparing to face BBC Dragons’ Den star, Peter Jones CBE, after making it through to the semi-finals of the ‘Peter Jones Foundation National Entrepreneur of the Year’ competition.

Megan Parfitt and Megan McKnight are two of just eight semi-finalists set to virtually face a panel of esteemed judges on Thursday 11 June. 

The students were shortlisted after impressing the judges and beating hundreds of students from across the country to secure top spots in the prestigious semi-final with their innovative business ideas.

Inspired by her nine-year-old sister, Megan Parfitt’s business, ‘Eat Your Dinner Trivia’, aims to encourage young children to eat their fruit and vegetables by playing a fun trivia game. The children are challenged to answer school curriculum and general knowledge questions. If they answer a question correctly, they earn a ‘treat’ that is decided by the reward cards. If they answer a question incorrectly, they must eat a portion of fruit or vegetables.

“I have three main aims for my business,” explained Megan: “One, to encourage kids to eat their fruit and vegetables in their lunch and dinner. Two, to build kids’ knowledge in school subjects such as the core subjects, maths and English. And three, to build kids’ general knowledge.

“I think that playing this game with children will become a fun way of getting kids to eat their fruit and vegetables.”

Megan McKnight’s business, ‘Bumble Blossoms’, provides a sustainable, zero-waste product solution to help bee populations thrive. Each ‘Bumble Blossom’ is comprised of a biodegradable pot and spork set with accompanying seeds for bee-friendly flowers. The set is packaged in a reusable, environmentally friendly tote bag, with a set of plant care instructions and interesting facts about bees, printed on recyclable paper. All ‘Bumble Blossom’ components are made from organic materials that are biodegradable and non-toxic.

“There is a huge influx of people wanting to improve their carbon footprint, and there is also a need for people to be more eco‐conscious of the products they are buying, using and throwing away,” commented Megan.

She continued: “My main aims are to portray to people that there are simple and affordable ways to do their part in improving their ecosystem, and how important bees are to humanity’s survival.

“I want to show to corporations that it is possible to use eco‐friendly, affordable and organic materials to make a successful product. My aim is my cause, and that is to help the bees.”

Business and Enterprise Lecturer at the College, Charmaine Jacobs, commented: “The business plans our students produced in support of their ideas, were developed as part of their BTEC unit assignment work for the module ‘Launch and Run an Enterprise.’

“From sharing their product ideas with me in October 2019, through to them both reaching national semi-finalist standard within such a short space of time, is a great achievement in of itself.

“To be their guide and witness first-hand their growth and development, has been a very rewarding experience for me as a teacher.”

The Competition finalists will be announced on Friday 19 June. If Megan and Megan successfully make it through to the final round, they will be one step closure to securing a financial investment in their business from Peter Jones CBE.

Folkestone College is one of only 21 Peter Jones Enterprise Academies (PJEA) in the UK. The Peter Jones Enterprise Academy is a flagship programme by the Peter Jones Foundation which aims to ‘bring the boardroom into the classroom’ and equip students with the skills, knowledge and experiences needed to succeed in their chosen careers.

Visit Folkestone College’s website for more information about the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy and the range of courses available to study.