Folkestone Student Crowned National Entrepreneur of the Year by TV Dragon

An enterprising student from EKC Group’s Folkestone College has secured a £5,000 business investment from BBC Dragon’s Den star, Peter Jones CBE, and the title of ‘National Entrepreneur of the Year 2020’.

Level 3 Enterprise and Entrepreneurship student, Megan Parfitt, received the national accolade after impressing the well-known business mogul and a panel of esteemed judges during the recent virtual final of the ‘Peter Jones Foundation National Entrepreneur of the Year’ competition.

Megan’s award-winning idea, ‘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.

The innovative dinnertime solution can be tailored to meet different house rules and individual needs, offering parents and carers flexibility in how they play.

As one of only five young entrepreneurs nationally to face the TV Dragon, Megan pulled out all the stops, gaining praise from Peter Jones CBE for her ‘brilliant idea’, and her ‘confident’ and insightful business pitch as he announced her as the winner.

Megan credits her win to the support she received from her tutors, namely former Head of Enterprise, Finance and Sport at Folkestone College and current Assistant Principal of Ashford College, Alexandra Syrotiuk, and Business and Enterprise Lecturer at Folkestone College, Charmaine Jacobs. She noted: “When I started the course, I had a little idea that has now turned into a big one!

“I’ve had the backing from my course leaders, Alexandra and Charmaine, from day one. They encouraged me to enter the competition and have supported me all the way through.”

With her sights set firmly on the future, Megan added: “In five years’ time, I would love to have an international business.

“I want to see my game in schools up and down the country, and in a variety of languages.

“To see my name on a range of products would be awesome.”

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.