WATCH: Enterprising youngsters turn £1 into tidy profit

Entrepreneurial youngsters from Whiteness Primary School have turned a tidy profit from a humble pound coin, proving they have the potential to be big in business.

The children from P6 and P7 have taken part in a challenge called Micro-Tyco, and have raised a tidy profit of almost £2,000.

The Micro-Tyco body boast that, so far, over 40,000 Micro-Tycos from 22 countries have taken part in its initiative.

The kids were divided into six groups of four at the beginning of November to carry out a range of different activities.

Some of them ran a fitness class, while others made stress balls – an essential commodity for any high flyer looking to ease the pressures of the day.

The venture culminated in a grand finale, which saw parents come for a Christmas shopping morning.

Class teacher Chloe Kerr said a staggering £1,800 was raised during the course of the project – and all from a humble starting point of just £1 per group.

“For the month of November our class was taking part in a project called Micro-Tyco,” she said.

“The class was split into groups of four. We had six groups, and each group was given a pound, and they had to try and raise as much money as they possibly could from that pound.

“They have come up with lots and lots of different ideas to raise money, and they have really been working on entrepreneurship.”

She said one group had made stress balls out of flour and balloons. Another had run a fitness class, while a “big Christmas open-morning” had seen children make different things to sell.

The venture has stretched to beyond the school walls, as well. Mrs Kerr said businesses had been contacted to by the children to get prizes and donations for raffles.

“They have raised £1,876.76 over the course of that month,” she added. “Every single group was delighted with that total.”

The money will now be sent to the WildHearts Foundation, which will distribute it to different countries around the world to help others set up their own business ventures.

“They are lent the money and then have to pay that back when they are an established business,” the teacher said.

So, is the P6/7 class at Whiteness Primary full of budding entrepreneurs bursting to make a tidy sum?

“I think we’ve definitely got a class full of entrepreneurs. They are full of good ideas with good team work, and lots of intuition.”

P6 pupil Holly Anderson was full of enthusiasm for the venture – and was delighted with the end result.

“Our group was called Worldwide Business, and we were selling lots of Christmas decorations. We were selling little Christmas rubber ducks, and we were selling puzzle sheets for a hamper.

“I just liked selling things and thinking up good ideas.”

Classmate Josh Breeze is also in P6. He belonged to a group called The Big Investors, which sold “stretchy-men” as part of its venture.

“We did a Guess the Square, and on the Guess the Square we were donated loads of prizes. We phoned NorthLink and they donated a trip to Aberdeen for us, and the stretchy-men sold really well to the children. Our Guess the Square did really well, as well. We sold about 100 squares.”