AFC Bournemouth's ambitions for a bigger fan base in the USA are being supported by enterprising students from nearby Avonbourne and Harewood colleges.

Year 9 and 10 students are helping the Premier League side achieve its goal of going stateside as part of a national enterprise competition.

The contest, run by the Premier League, uses the power of professional football to engage young people in business by working with their local club on a real business proposition.

The youngsters from Avonbourne and Harewood are now holding regular workshops with AFC Bournemouth to hatch their American pitch tactics together.

AFC Bournemouth’s Head of Community, Steve Cuss, said: “We are delighted to be working with Avonbourne Trust and the Premier League on the exciting PL Enterprise project.

“The lessons provide students with the opportunity to look at the business side of football utilising research and presentation skills to develop their own ideas to present the judging panel.”

In addition to the work taking place with AFC Bournemouth, the Trust also staged week-long business activities for all its students.

The four schools of Avonbourne Trust – Avonwood Primary, Avonbourne College, Harewood College and Avonbourne Sixth Form – spent all week showcasing their entrepreneurship, culminating in a Dragons’ Den-style contest.

In the end the judges – Year 12 Business Studies students playing the parts of Peter Jones and co – chose three winning teams to receive a share of £200 funding for their social enterprise ideas.

A team of girls from Avonbourne were the winners with their JK Rowling-inspired fantasy film nights to raise money for charity.

Taking second and third place was two teams from Harewood for a book recycling scheme and a ‘create your own whirlpool kit’ invention.

Avonbourne Trust’s CEO, Debbie Godfrey-Phaure, said: "We are very excited to be joining forces with AFC Bournemouth and getting our students to tackle such a high-profile and global business challenge.

"As a business and enterprise trust all our schools are very much about preparing students for employment and bringing out the entrepreneur in them all.

"The work with AFC Bournemouth coincided with our annual enterprise week and every student, from our youngest primary children to our sixth formers, has been given the opportunity to put their business skills to the test."