Two dozen 16 and 17 year olds formed Anagenesis, appointed directors, carried out market research, developed a product, sourced suppliers and then marketed and sold their unique product called Wireworks.

It wasn’t all plain sailing. A problem with the dye used in the product needed resolving, there were some personnel issues and sourcing a competitively priced manufacturer was difficult. But the team overcame all these challenges – and more – and worked together to turn in a profit in its first few months of trading.

Although the Young Enterprise project is now completed, Anagenesis has had enquiries from retail outlets keen to stock the product. As a result they are now looking to register the product design and possibly continuing the business.

The end of year company report put together by the team, led by managing directors Emily Morgan and Megan Chittock, scooped a special award at the Young Enterprise Peterborough Area Awards ceremony. The report was judged the best by Anne Corder who has been involved with the scheme for a number of years – and the team will now go on to compete in the regional finals.

Ms Corder visited the team at their school on Thorpe Road to say a personal well done and to talk to the students about their experiences. She told Peterboroughbusiness.co.uk, “Anagenesis came up with a unique, contemporary solution to the very modern day problem of twisted headphone cables. Not only was their product good, their organisation was excellent and they kept a very tight rein on vital business components such as budget.

“The report they compiled was excellent – they included plenty of detail and didn’t shy away from discussing problems they had encountered and the lessons they had learnt.

“It was a pleasure to visit the students at school and talk to them about their plans for the business – and for the future.”

The Young Enterprise Company encourages students to set up and run companies over the course of a school year, marketing and producing products or services to sell to students, school visitors and at Young Enterprise Board trade fairs. Each school company is supported by advisors recruited from the business community.

Photo caption (click photo for full size version): Anagenesis’ managing director Emily Morgan (left) and deputy Megan Chittock (right) receive their Young Enterprise certificate from Anne Corder watched by the rest of the company members.

There are now only eight weeks left to enter the Business in the Community Regional Awards – open to businesses operating or based in Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex who integrate responsible business practice into their mainstream operations. The closing date for entry is March 31, 2011. Details of all the categories are listed below and application packs can be found by visiting http://www.bitc.org.uk/east_of_england/awards.html. Entry to the Awards is free of charge.

These Awards have become hugely prestigious and are considered the ultimate accolade by winning companies for their corporate responsibility activity.  The Awards will be presented at an Awards Gala Dinner kindly sponsored by Anglian Water to be held at Hengrave Hall, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk on Tuesday June 14, 2011.

Mike Brophy, regional director for Business in the Community said, “Entries to the Awards are always high, and I am often staggered by the pride that shows through in each of the submissions. They show us who the leaders are, and whose approach is making a real difference, both to people and the planet. It is apparent that that there are a huge number of smaller firms doing great things but not necessarily getting the recognition they deserve. I would like to see more entries from across all businesses.”

The Business in the Community Regional Awards categories:

Individual Employee Volunteer Award

This Award is for an individual employee whose commitment and dedication to volunteering activities has achieved the greatest impact on communities in this region.

Business Team Volunteering Award

This Award is for the business team of employees whose collective commitment and dedication to volunteering activities have achieved the greatest impact on communities in this region.

Carbon Positive Award

Open to companies who actively, and consistently, strive to reduce their carbon footprint and improve their businesses’ impact on the environment in the East of England and set an example to other companies.

Most Innovative New Programme Award  – sponsored by Serco

With a focus on innovation and ideas, this award is open to companies whose programmes are currently in the planning stage, or in early development, that will become the successful community impact programmes of the future in the East of England.

Pro Bono Company of the Year

Open to professional firms based or operating in the East of England that have provided pro bono support to voluntary or community organisations during 2010.  It is designed to recognise a regional company whose outstanding contribution has had a significant impact on the local community and society and sets an example to other companies.

The Right Step Award – sponsored by The Right Step

This Award is open to companies who have adopted the most innovative approach to working with the criminal justice system to help reduce re-offending in the East of England region.

Staying Healthy at Work Award – sponsored by NHS East of England

This award will be presented to the company who has demonstrated their commitment to implementing measures that encourages employees to maintain a healthy lifestyle thus reducing absenteeism through ill health.

Age Diversity in the Workplace Award

With a focus on the under 25s and/or over 50s age groups, this award is open to organisations who have clearly embraced the concept of age diversity in their workforce.

Community Impact Award – sponsored by Norse

This award will recognise the company who has demonstrated their outstanding commitment to having a positive impact on society, the environment and the business through their responsible business practice across the four disciplines of community, environment, marketplace and workplace.

Marks & Spencer Sieff Award

For individuals based in the community who have successfully collaborated with business to benefit society.

Best Business in the Community (Large Company)

This award will be presented to the (large) company that has had the biggest positive impact on communities inside the region.

Best Business in the Community (Small Company) – sponsored by Aviva

This award will be presented to the (small) company that has had the biggest positive impact on communities inside the region.

The Prince’s Ambassador Award

For an individual whose leadership and commitment to responsible business has resulted in changes and improvements inside their own company and who has inspired other organisations to take action.

Rachael Dawson, pictured in blue with Martin Beynon, Coloplast medical marketing manager, and Sue Kernahan (right), Coloplast general manager, was described by the company as “passionate about her work, motivated and driven”. She received the accolade at the company’s sales conference in Croatia. Her reward for outstanding performance is an all-expenses-paid long weekend for two in Vienna.

2010 was quite a year for Coloplast’s marketing events manager who works at the company’s head office in Peterborough. Rachael has launched two new products in the intermittent catheter range, taken on the newly-created marketing events manager role and achieved her CIM post graduate marketing diploma. She is now an affiliate of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

“It has been an eventful year but also a very successful one,” said Rachael. “A lot of hard work was needed for the post graduate programme which meant I needed to fit in my studies alongside the day job. The end result has made it all worthwhile though.”

Her colleagues were delighted with her success and they were all at the sales conference to share her triumph.

“Colleagues are always pleased when someone in Coloplast does well or wins an award like this,” she added. “We are always very busy and the pace is very quick. It’s a positive place to work in and that brings out the best in people.

“We’re always looking and working to do things better – whether that’s with new processes, systems or products. I wasn’t expecting anything but it was a really nice surprise when they called out my name. That was the first I knew about it!”

Rachael has worked with Coloplast for four years. Until a few months ago she was a senior product manager.

“Working in continence care and the ostomy division, I’m responsible for the events and exhibitions to help promote our products and services in these areas. That involves making sure we have the right strategy, branding, standards and products for our customers at all our events attended.”

What makes a great marketeer?

Rachael offers the following advice: “Approach everything with a positive attitude and be professional. Have the right energy levels and be consistent at all times”.

Martin Beynon, Coloplast medical marketing manager, said Rachael’s award was richly deserved.

“Rachael is passionate about her work and shows she is adaptable to take on new challenges. She is enthusiastic, motivated and driven. She has always been up for a challenge and is committed to achieve the best outcome.”

Coloplast’s specialist healthcare products for continence, ostomy and wound and skin care make a real difference to people with intimate healthcare needs. The company employs about 170 staff at its UK headquarters in Peterborough and over 70 others at its nearby distribution centre.

IPM, based in Lynch Wood, specialises in handling overseas placements for companies including sorting all the ‘red tape’ associated with visas, salary packages, tax, currency, accommodation, and schooling.

Over 240 entries were received for this year’s Expatriate Management and Mobility Awards (EMMA) with numbers whittled down to those shortlisted in a range of categories.

Alan Bentley (pictured), managing director of IPM, said, “When organising international placements for staff it is essential that both the employer and the employee are comfortable with the package offered and the organisation that goes behind it. Our entry was based on our independence, personal and attentive service, speed of response and our depth of knowledge about the sector.”

The EMMA award winners will be announced in London on November 15.

PETERBOROUGH Business

Because Peterborough has scooped the top Anglia in Bloom award for the first time – a recognition of the beauty and high maintenance standards of the city’s open spaces.

A team from Peterborough City Council were presented with the regional competition’s gold award at a ceremony in Sudbury today (Wednesday 15 September 2010) after judges undertook a guided tour of Peterborough’s blooming projects back in July. This is the first time Peterborough has won the gold, after receiving a silver gilt award for the last four years.

Councillor Matthew Lee, deputy leader of the city council, said, “I am very pleased that we have moved up from the silver gilt to the gold award which is recognition of the hard work which is put in by council staff and members of the community alike.  It is an excellent achievement and one of which all involved should be very proud.”

The awards recognise success and achievement within the city’s varied business community. The winners will be announced at a gala dinner to be held on November 19, 2010 at the East of England Showground.

If you have a great story to tell, share it with Peterborough Business and the rest of the city. Email news@peterboroughbusiness.co.uk

If you think your business deserves a gong, visit the website at www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/business/business-awards for more information.

This is the 15th anniversary of the awards and the deadline for entries in September 3. Only businesses with a PE postcode are eligible to enter.

The team beat off stiff competition to pick up the ‘Best Talent Management’ award for its innovative ‘Thinking for Business Success’ (TFBS) programme, which delivered tangible results and benefits for the organisation by tapping into and developing the skills of its own people.

The TFBS programme, developed internally by Indesit Company’s training and development team in 2009, took a group of people from around the organisation and set them ‘real world’ challenges. By working as a team and pooling their creative resources, the group produced a range of cost effective solutions that later became part of the organisation’s business strategy. The first phase of the programme was overseen by business facilitators Go MAD Thinking and TFBS has since proved so successful that it is now in its third wave.

Sarah Coochey, HR Director for Indesit Company, said, “We are delighted to have won such an important award. The TFBS programme has worked on so many levels, from providing personal development to making a real difference for the business in a tough economic climate.”

The ‘Best Talent Management Strategy’ award, which was judged by a panel of respected HR directors, CEOs and academics, was presented to Lyn Green, organisational development manager, at the awards dinner held at The Hilton Hotel, Park Lane.

As part of a long-term programme of corporate social responsibility, Produce World has invested in the Credit 360 system. This allows anybody to access key performance measures across the company’s business units including carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, water and energy usage, accident frequency rate, and employee turnover. The information provided is un-edited and completely transparent.

As a result, Produce World won the Innovative Reporting category of the awards run by Ethical Corporation as part of its Responsible Business Summit.

Companies that won other categories or were highly commended included global household names such as L’Oreal, PepsiCo, SAB Miller, British Land and Greenpeace.

William Burgess, Produce World’s CEO said, “The award recognises our investment over the past few years to improve the sustainability of our business. It is especially satisfying to be included alongside major brands, and shows what can be achieved by a relatively small company on a ‘shoestring’ budget.

“We are committed to sustainability, but not by simply throwing money at the problem. Some companies would invest in a wind turbine, and think that they have done their bit. We haven’t gone down that route, but we believe that the measures we are taking are much more long-term and will really make a difference.”

The competition judges said, “This B2B company is truly innovative in providing regular key corporate responsibility information to stakeholders in a B2B environment. This example shows how companies can be transparent to customers and has developed a model that, if applied to other sectors, could have transformational effects in terms of provenance and traceability.”

Produce World is unique in the fresh produce industry in adopting the Credit 360 system. To date it has only been used by blue chip corporations such as John Lewis, Alliance Boots and McDonalds.

Produce World’s work towards improved performance in environmental stewardship was recognised over the past 18 months when it secured ISO14001 accreditation for its head office and four of its businesses:  potato supplier Solanum, organic specialist RB Organic, Isleham Fresh Produce, which markets root vegetables and Rustler Produce, a major supplier of onions, garlic and leeks.

Environmental stewardship is just one of four pillars of Produce World’s Growing Trust Corporate Social Responsibility programme which includes:

• Environmental stewardship
• Responsible sourcing
• Workplace culture
• Community impact.

For more information, visit: www.produceworld.co.uk

Paul Bailey, founder and chairman of Worldwide Connect Limited, is among 112 people shortlisted across the UK that will compete at regional award events in June. Regional winners will go on to vie for the title Ernst & Young ‘UK Overall Entrepreneur Of The Year’ 2010 – currently held by Michael Spencer, chief executive of ICAP plc – at a ceremony held in London in October.

Sponsored in the UK by Credit Suisse, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates people who build and lead successful, growing and dynamic businesses; recognising them through regional, national and global awards programmes in more than 135 cities in 50 countries.

Other well known brand names that feature in the list, include: SuperGroup, which recently floated on the London Stock Exchange; Emma Bridgewater; Moonpig.com; Poundland; Republic; Seabrook Crisps; and Stagecoach.

Cathy Taylor, senior partner and the region’s Entrepreneur Of The Year leader at Ernst & Young, said, “Entrepreneur Of The Year recognises the people behind the world’s most innovative businesses.

“This year’s finalists have shown their ability to adapt to market conditions by seizing opportunities and taking market share.

“The finalists have maintained their vision for growth and pursued it, increased their focus on customer satisfaction and loyalty, expanded into new segments and geographical markets and engaged their employees using greater communication and transparency.

“These are the businesses that will drive the recovery and provide confidence throughout the world’s markets. Governments around the world, not just in Britain, need to promote an open economy to stimulate innovation. Today’s entrepreneurs operate on a world stage and depend on global capital, production, talent, and customers to deliver success.”