Shotton Hall to make Impact at Premier League finals

Students from Shotton Hall Academy are gearing up to show off their business acumen at the finals of the Premier League Enterprise Challenge in London next week.

Team Impact, made up of Lily, Hollie-Ann, Eden and Caitlyn will represent Sunderland AFC in the capital on Monday after beating Leicester City, Stoke City, Swansea City and Watford in the Play-Offs at the bet365 Stadium.

The group will pitch their ideas on how to increase the Black Cats' international fan base and income streams in the USA to former England international Graeme Le Saux, entrepreneur and Dragon's Den star Theo Paphitis and Premier League Executive Office Director Peta Bistany.

Ahead of the final the girls, who believe develop their project has brought them closer as friends and as a group, told SR News's Charlotte Price: "We are over the moon to be representing Sunderland because it’s a special feeling.  We feel really proud and confident about presenting our idea because we’ve been through it so many times.

"We have spent hours after school, working with staff from the Foundation who have been amazing. They have really helped us."

Compered by BBC Kickabout presenter Ben Shires, the Enterprise Challenge Final will see the girls go head-to-head with teams from Derby County, Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United at the headquarters of international accountancy giants Ernst & Young to see who will be crowned winners of this year's competition.

Carole Graham, teacher at Shotton Hall Academy, added: "I'm really excited, I was there [at Stoke] when the girls got through. I'm thrilled and proud of them."

Chris Towers, Education Officer at the Foundation of Light added: "The girls have worked so hard on their ideas and through qualifying rounds and deserve their place in the final.

"They will make additions to their pitch and ideas and we know as this is the final the level is going to be ramped up.

Regardless of the result on Monday the experience has been fantastic; the girls have done extremely well and everyone at their school and Foundation of Light are very proud of them.

"We are very grateful to the Premier League for giving youngsters the opportunity to be involved in the programmes which can increase their aspirations and skills."

The Premier League Enterprise Challenge, which is run in partnership with Sport Relief, uses the backdrop of professional football clubs' business models to deliver enterprise education to hundreds of thirteen to fifteen-year-olds in sessions run by Premier League and English Football League clubs.

Foundation of Light's Premier League Enterprise programme is delivered in partnership with the Caterpillar Foundation.