2005 Trade Fair
HCAT’s own ‘VIP’s’, from the
Vocational Inclusion Programme
Shoppers at Priory Meadow on Saturday December 10th had an opportunity to buy unique items to add to their Christmas stockings. Five Young Enterprise teams put their wares up for sale and competed for best trade stand in the 2005/2006 Hastings and Rother area competition.
Products on offer included; one-off designed CD clocks made by ‘College Creatives’ from Glyne Gap, fur covered pens and notebooks created by ‘Impact’ from Helenswood, ladies jewellery fashioned from recycled materials by ‘Chix Bitz’ from HCAT Supportive Education, original photographic cards and toys from ‘VIP’ the team of students from Filsham Valley and an original Rap CD entitled Issues, produced by HCAT’s own ‘VIP’s’, from the Vocational Inclusion Programme.
The 15 to 19 year-olds have had to form companies, come up with the ideas and produce their products to make a profit. On Saturday they had a chance to market their creations to the public as well as be judged for overall presentation by two local marketing specialists.
The Filsham Valley Team
Bill Shearer, Manager of the eBiz Centre said, “This was my second opportunity to judge the Young Enterprise Trade Fair and standards were extremely high. It was very difficult to choose first, second and third place as all of the products, stand presentations and public relation skills of the students were outstanding this year.”
Filsham’s VIP team showed true marketing style and invited two of the stars from the White Rock’s Panto Aladdin Spencer from Big Brother and Dean Gaffney, to make a guest appearance at Priory Meadow to help promote their stand. The team kindly agreed that the stars could present the prizes to all the winners and were only just knocked into second place by the HCAT ‘VIP’s. Chix Bitzs from HCAT Supportive, came in a respectable third place.
Renee Jasper, Information and Marketing Officer from the IPF said, “Bill and I both agreed that the Rap CD, “Issue”, produced by the ‘VIP’s’ showed professionalism, team-work and a very well styled presentation. They truly deserved recognition for their effort.”
ChixBitz
The three team members who manned the stand were overjoyed when they heard the news, only that morning they had been interviewed by Arrow FM about the CD. Emma ‘Dilemma’ Payne, who performed the three rap tracks said, “Young people have many issues in life, Rap is a way of expressing themselves. The VIP team have been excluded from school and these songs are about our life experiences.”
Louise Edwards, Managing Director of the VIP’s said; “This is really great for us but, we also want to thank our teachers from HCAT, our business advisor from HREBP,
Terri & Mike from Little London Studios and Alison Hooper of AHA Communications for her advice on graphic design; they gave us the time and encouragement to get this far.”
