Enterprising Peter wins Griffins Nest Competition at Venturefest

York College business student, Peter Blackley (aged 17), beat off fierce competition at Venturefest to win a Griffins Nest prize. Impressing the judges with his Silver Surfers business enterprise idea, he gave a confident presentation to an audience of 150 delegates.

Peter studies the new Level 3 Enterprise and Entrepreneurship course at York College and is learning how to be enterprising and run his own business. The one year course requires students to plan profitable business projects and Peter's notion of a ‘Silver Surfers' enterprising business; having young offenders teaching IT skills to the elderly, captured the spirit of inclusion and the benefits of Social Enterprise.

Formerly of Boston Spa School, Peter had a false start studying A Levels. He decided to find a course that was more suited to his own enterprising interests. He says: “I am an ideas person, I'm quite practical and I enjoy making ideas work. At Venturefest I spoke to the judges about my ideas for the Silver Surfers business and even though the whole experience was nerve wracking, I felt confident that my ideas were good ones and that I could put my business plan across positively. I thought Venturefest provided a great networking opportunity and I was over the moon to find out that I had won the Griffins Nest competition. Currently I am starting up my own business alongside studying this course and I feel really motivated to make it work.”

Katharine Dent, Team Leader for Business at York College said: “The College entered four different Business groups into the Griffins Nest competition. Peter should be congratulated for entering as a solo competitor and then winning the overall competition. He is a great student and an enterprising young man who will go far.”