UNITE-Teens is a Young Enterprise company with pupils from The Bishop of Winchester academy, Bournemouth Colligate School, Porchester School and Talbot Heath School.

All the companies have been meeting and developing since October and are now marketing their products and preparing for the first stage of the innovation competition. Unite Teens pride themselves on “Thinking about tomorrow today” and the Managing Director of Unite Teens is from Talbot Heath.

She explains more about how the company was formed, its progress and product; “Our mission statement summarises our group’s aims concisely and accurately. Although our goal is to succeed as a profitable business, at Unite-Teens we are also concerned with the wider world and the social responsibilities it holds for future generations.

Whether these responsibilities be protecting the environment or ourselves, we have approached every business decision with these in mind.

‘Colour-me-in’ wrapping paper, chocolates and sweets were initially sold to raise capital at Christmas trade fairs in The Dolphin Centre.

Unite-Teens also attended The Dorset Business Awards, where we were privileged enough to speak with successful business men and women providing us with the opportunity to discuss our final product and gain feedback. At Unite Teens we believe that through our own innovation and imagination we can evoke change helping to combat social problems in our own communities.

Our product, the ‘what if?’ bag is a unique product which is compact and contains useful things that every young adult should carry.

Young Enterprise has given us the opportunity to be the Directors of a profitable business at the age of seventeen, and has confirmed my wish to work in the business world in the future. Our product may be seen as controversial, but anyone can see it is necessary in the world we live in today.”

There are 18 Young Enterprise companies in Dorset that are currently developing their product and looking in to new and innovative ways of manufacturing and marketing it. The companies will compete against each other in May to win the chance to represent Dorset at the Regional finals, and perhaps going on to the National or even European innovation awards. If you think you can help Unite Teens or any of the companies please see www.young-enterprise.org.uk for more details.