The YMCA are offering young islanders a youth enterprise opportunity with a difference, thanks to funding from the Isle of Wight Council.
YMCA Futures provides for teams of young people aged 11 to 19 with the chance to run a social enterprise that aims to benefit a local charity of their choice and YMCA are now looking for School groups, Scout and Guide groups, Duke of Edinburgh teams, Youth club and Church groups to apply.
Each group of 4 or more applicants are to produce a business proposition of how they will use seed funding from the project to raise money for the charity of their choice. The groups will then go before a Dragons Den of local business Dragons to present their plan and if successful, they will receive up to £1000 seed money for their business project.
Groups will also be appointed a business mentor who will meet with them on a regular basis, to help them put their plan in to action. They will have six months to raise enough money to pay back their seed funding and raise money for the charity of their choice.
There are many options open to the groups to raise money, such as running an event with an entrance fee, buying and selling products e.g. mugs, or funding a sponsored walk the possibilities are endless for the Young Entrepreneurs it is up to groups to decide what they want to do to raise the money and which charity to support.
The deadline for the first round has been pushed back to the 14th February so there is still time to apply. There will be a second and third round later in the year for unsuccessful applicants.
For further information about YMCA Futures, please contact Steve Baker at the YMCA on (01983) 861076.
