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Student business firmly abuzz

TWO councils have enlisted aspiring Newcastle University students in an attempt to encourage would-be entrepreneurs back into work.

Queen Bee Candles was set up in October last year by three young women students on the Young Enterprise North East Graduate Programme.

The team has already won several national and regional awards for its success in producing and selling handmade 100% eco-friendly beeswax candles.

Queen Bee Candles has now been commissioned by both Gateshead and North Tyneside Councils to run knowledge transfer projects, aimed at helping unemployed people to learn more about how to come up with an idea and go about setting up their own small businesses.

With support from Students in Free Enterprise, Queen Bee Candles has already completed a series of workshops for Gateshead Council’s ‘Dragons Don’t Bite’ programme, provided by Entrust, where unemployed people in Gateshead pitch for mentoring advice.

Entrust programme trainer Nathan Pellow said: “Having Queen Bee Candles share their first hand experience and knowledge with people looking for guidance in how to pitch a business idea gave the “Dragons Don’t Bite’ participants a real boost.”

Queen Bee Candles is about to launch a five-week enterprise based workshop with North Tyneside Council to help raise funds for the Howden and Wallsend Sure Start Centres.

The three directors will work with parents and carers from Sure Start to help them design, create and market their own products to sell at various events to raise money for the Sure Start project.

Queen Bee Candles finance director Anelise Siddle said: ‘“Although our mainstream business is based on selling eco-friendly candles, we’re now looking at expanding our activities by creating a set of workshops that we can offer to other community groups and council projects.

“We’re hoping that through working with groups we can share our knowledge and experience with more people, and encourage others to make the leap and follow in our footsteps.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .