A group of Isle of Wight students whose innovative board game has earned national recognition were welcomed to County Hall earlier this week (Wednesday) to showcase their success to councillors.
Members of Boundless Wight, a student company from The Island VI Form, attended the Isle of Wight Council’s Full Council meeting after being invited by chairman Councillor Ian Dore, who wanted fellow councillors to hear about the team’s remarkable achievements.
The young entrepreneurs received a huge round of applause from councillors as they entered the chamber, recognising a year of exceptional success that has seen them progress from local winners to national finalists.
The students brought along their award-winning product, Walk the Wight: The Board Game, which celebrates the Isle of Wight’s communities, landmarks and attractions while encouraging people to discover more about the Island.
Although only four members of the eight-strong team were able to attend, councillors heard how Boundless Wight had progressed from winning the Isle of Wight Young Enterprise competition to securing regional success and ultimately reaching the Young Enterprise UK National Final in Cardiff.
The team was ranked among the top 12 student businesses in the UK, having emerged from a field of more than 1,000 teams nationwide.
Their success did not stop there. At the national final, Boundless Wight achieved the highest sales income of all finalists and received the prestigious Delta Air Lines Pursuit of Opportunity Award.
Meanwhile, team member Sophie Sanders, the company’s vice chief executive, was awarded the “You’re Hired” Medal in recognition of her outstanding performance during the competition.
Councillor Dore, who had previously met the students at The Island VI Form, said he was keen for colleagues to recognise what the young entrepreneurs had achieved.
He said:
“Once again, it was a real pleasure to meet the young people behind Boundless Wight and to see first-hand the enthusiasm, creativity and determination that has brought them such impressive success.
“We first met at The Island VI Form and I wanted to invite them into County Hall to showcase their achievements to my fellow councillors.
“To reach the national final from more than 1,000 teams is an incredible achievement in itself, but to also earn national awards and generate the highest sales income of all the finalists is something the whole Isle of Wight can be proud of.
“Their board game is a wonderful celebration of our Island, its communities and landmarks, and I was particularly impressed by their commitment to supporting local businesses, sustainability and Mountbatten.
“They are fantastic ambassadors for the Isle of Wight and that was clearly recognised in Full Council when they came into the chamber and received a huge round of applause for their achievements. I wish them every success in the future.”
Boundless Wight developed Walk the Wight: The Board Game to showcase the best of the Island while supporting local communities and businesses.
The team’s commitment to the local economy extends beyond the game itself. The playing pieces, miniature islands used within the game, are produced on the Isle of Wight from recycled plastic, while a donation from every sale is made to Mountbatten Isle of Wight.
The company is made up of Sebastian Flower (chief executive), Sophie Sanders (vice CEO), Louie Wakefield (head of development), Conor Dean (head of marketing), Isaac Millington (finance director), Kinga Kurowska (head of design), Liv Adraienssens (director of social media and marketing) and Harry Shand (director of fundraising and sponsorship).
The young entrepreneurs have also built a strong following on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, helping to raise awareness of both the game and the Isle of Wight.
Adding to their growing list of achievements, the team recently celebrated reaching 100 pre-order sales, underlining the popularity of their Island-inspired board game and capping a remarkable year for one of the Island’s most successful Young Enterprise teams.
