Chester-le-Street school wins long-running enterprise competition
- kelseygarbutt
- Jul 1
- 3 min read
Students from Park View School are the 2025 winners of Future Business Magnates, the UK’s longest-running schools enterprise competition.
The Year 8s’ idea – a wearable safety device for elderly and vulnerable shoppers– scored high marks throughout six challenges over seven months after teams were set the task of re-imagining Durham’s High Streets.
Future Business Magnates (FBM), delivered by Durham County Council’s business support service, Business Durham, is celebrating 20 years and has now introduced more than 2,400 students from 40 secondary schools to enterprise.
Durham County Councillor Lyndsey Fox said: “We are incredibly proud to be involved in such a long-running and successful project which has given so many young people an early insight into the world of business and, at the same time, introduced them to skills which they will use for a lifetime.
“We want County Durham to be known as the home of enterprise and for businesses to know that there’s a rich pipeline of talent coming through. There’s no better way to start than with FBM.”
Since 2017, as well as the year group taking part in the competition, 10,000 Year 7 students in the county have been involved in a taster programme called FBM Freshers. And for the first time this year 250 primary school children had an early experience of enterprise through FBM Market Makers, while a creative project involved 200 Year 9s.
The eleven 2025 FBM competing teams were invited to Hardwick Hall in Sedgefield to celebrate their achievements and discover the winners.
They were joined by their business partners and the new Chair of Durham County Council, Cllr Robbie Rodiss. The event was hosted by journalist and broadcaster Charlie Charlton.
The idea for the winning product – “Guardian by Angel Tech” – came after a frightening incident for a member of the team who was followed home.
Throughout the competition Park View scored 984 points out of a maximum of 1,000 and the students’ presentation during the final Dragons’ Den-style challenge was, according to one of the judges, better than many pitches by adults he had seen.
“We practised 24/7 and I can say we were probably reciting it wherever we went, but I think we really smashed it,” said team member Ellie. “At the start of the competition I was not a very confident person but during this I've learned to speak to other people, collaborate and listen.”
The winners were joined on the stage by their business partner, the Co-op Distribution Centre in Birtley, and their teacher Chris Hobbs. “It's a fantastic competition. Win, lose, or draw, there's so much to take from it,” he said and encouraged other secondary schools to take part: “It doesn’t just benefit members of the team, there’s a ripple effect across the school and I think it's really inspiring for them as well.”
Wolsingham School came second with “The Glowing Gecko – a hotel and night street food market for Consett. Durham High School was third with “The Box” – a pop-market and events space.
Durham IT business and consultancy Waterstons has worked with FBM teams for more than a decade.
“We form a bond and a friendship and over the years we keep in touch with the schools that we've worked with so we continue to support them in terms of business experience, work experience etc,” said its Executive Consultant Lesley Buckels.
She said Waterstons puts a lot of time and effort into supporting the schools, but it is well worthwhile: “Watching the children flourish and blossom throughout the process and gain confidence is a massive payback to us and it's something that we're really keen to continue.”
Design manufacturer PDM (North East) is also a long-time FBM business partner.
“It's such a great environment for young adults to learn about business, to learn about how to socialise with other people, to understand things like marketing, finance and sales. It's just a great experience,” said Managing Director Mike Bourner.
FBM 2026 launches in November. For more information contact fbm@durham.gov.uk
