Recyclable cushion entrepreneurs take sustainability award

17 December 2014

Recyclable cushion-making entrepreneurs take out national sustainability award

Recyclable cushion making company, Jesh Designs, have won the Global Future Charitable Trust Award for excellence in environmental sustainability and a $1000 cash prize.

The award is part of Yes – the Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme in which 2800 students from around the country took part. Earlier this year, Jesh Design won the YES - Manawatu & Wanganui regional competition which is run in partnership with the BCC. The BCC provides the participating students and teachers the ability to connect into the regional enterprise ecosystem to help them grow their business ideas.

"It's hard to describe the feeling of winning. Right at the start we wanted to do something significant, something with a purpose," says Jesh Designs, managing director, Jacqueline Holmes.

"One of our goals, alongside creating a quality product from recyclables, was to win this award. It's an amazing feeling to achieve what we set out to do!"

Jesh Design is owned by Year 13 students from Palmerston North Girls' High School –managing director, Jacqueline Holmes; sales director, Grace Donaldson; finance director, Sarah Davies; and, marketing director, Hannah Thomson.

The cushion is made with 19 soft drink bottles bound together in a circular shape. They are siliconed and screwed to packing sheet wood and covered in off-cuts of new underlay, then upholstered in durable fabric. The cushions come in three different sizes which are marketed through Facebook www.facebook.com/jeshdesignspn .

"We couldn't have done this without the support of the BCC. Richard and Dave have been there for us since day one. They always made themselves available to help solve problems, and they have a diverse network of people who helped us."

"The competition is a great place to test out an idea, learn new skills and push yourself. It's not just for those who want to do commerce. One of our directors wants to run her own childcare facility and the competition has helped her understand what's required to run a business."

If you've got an idea, give it a go. You won't regret it," she says.

BCC Events and Marketing Co-ordinator Richard Dryden says it was exciting to work with Jesh Design. "As entrepreneurs they worked really hard and took advice well."

" I hope their achievement inspires other young people from across Manawatu and Wanganui to participate next year."

Another Palmerston North Girls' High student was named the AUT Scholar of the Year, for gaining the top mark nationwide in the Young Enterprise exam. She receives a scholarship for a Bachelor of Business and a cash prize of $1000.

Robyn Frey of the Young Enterprise Trust says her team is delighted with the energy that the BCC brought to the local coordination of Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme.

"The BCC is passionate about supporting our next generation of entrepreneurs and those that teach them. Their impact is evident in the success of the Manawatu/ Wanganui student companies this year.

"The BCC provides a clear pathway for students to staircase into a business after YES. This can only contribute positively to regional development goals."

I'm looking forward to consolidating the relationship and working with BCC in 2015 to grow regional participation."

Jesh Designs have gone on to develop two new products and next year they aim to move away from retail into wholesaling, taking on the New Zealand retail market.

Next year, three of the four company directors are off to study Business at Massey and all four will continue to run the business, says Jacqueline.

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