28 March 2008

Enterprise Gym Awards

The Enterprise Gym annual awards ceremony and dinner took place in the Bonar Hall last night, marking the end of another highly successful year for all involved.

Students won a range of certificates depending on their participation and commitment with one clear winner claiming the prize of champion: This year Sarah Gillespie (1st year Art) took the prize for her creativity and enterprise in getting her singer songwriter career started. The next prize went to the top team WeAreCreatives.com comprising of Ian Shiels (3rd year Interactive Media Design), Jamie Shek (3rd year Interactive Media Design), Rory Colsell (1st year Interactive Media Design) and Ryan McLeod (3rd year Interactive Media Design) for the quality of their Business Plan (to set up an online service for media students and graduate recruiters) and team dedication.

Over 1000 students are now signed up to the E-Gym and a cross section of members are attending a host of events where local business men and women mentor them by encouraging their business ideas and helping them seek funding (known as a Trainer), or sharing their passion and wisdom to broaden the business minds of Dundee students (in the form of Supercoaches).

Dundee City Council’s Convener of economic development, Councillor Joe Morrow, presented the top awards to students who have shown real dedication and entrepreneurial flare within the E-Gym. Other business patrons including Sharon MacPherson (MD Pumpkin Press Ltd), Tanya Ewing (MD EWGECO Ltd) and Colin MacDonald (Studio Manager Realtime Worlds Ltd) presented student members with certificates reflecting their attendance at the events and reaching the national level of the Business Plan Competition sponsored by the Scottish Institute for Enterprise (SIE).

Local businesses including James Keiller Estates, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Insights, Ross & Bonnyman, and the Royal Bank of Scotland have shown strong support for the project by mentoring students and even providing prizes for those who have really excelled themselves via online participation and event attendance.

The E-Gym has proven itself to be a hit both with students and local businesses, as their continued support has shown through the many events that are added to the calendar every year. The main aims are to improve the self-reliance and employability of students by promoting an awareness of business enterprise and helping them to build their entrepreneurial skills.

"We have had a fantastic year with membership numbers growing and key local businesses really supporting us to help students further their business minds" said Stuart Hamilton the E-Gym’s Events Manager.

Ken Edward Enterprise Facilitator at the University of Dundee had this to say: "The E-Gym aims to improve the business skills of students to accompany the academic knowledge they have gained at the University. Seeing so many local businesses get involved to such a large extent and so many students achieving awards this year, has shown real dedication that has been invaluable to the continued growth of the membership and commercial awareness of the student population".

For more information please call
Cheryl Baker
07731 572912

For media enquiries contact:
Anna Day
Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: a.c.day@dundee.ac.uk