Green theme tames business dragons

RECYCLED fashion . . . Fiona Bushell (left) and Madeline Edge with some of their garments

TWO pupils with designs on success won a Dragons’ Den-style competition to discover budding entrepreneurs.

Business whizz kids Fiona Bushell (15) and Madeline Edge (14) from Crompton House School were the winners of Oldham’s annual Fast and Furious competition with their recycled fashion.

The event was inspired by the popular BBC Two programme in which would-be entrepreneurs try to get financial backing from a panel of multi-millionaire investors.

Year 10 pupils from five schools won through to the final at the Swallow Bower Hotel where they had to pitch their ideas to the judges.

Best friends Fiona and Madeline took top spot with their green company Classeco which aims to turn people’s unwanted clothes and fabrics into new garments and accessories.

Madeline, who makes and alters some of her own clothes, came up with the idea and her prototypes include a dress transformed into a stylish top and a fashionable bag made from a remnant.

Both pupils take business studies and she explained: “We are hoping to set up our own eBay shop using clothes from charity shops and altering and embellishing them.

“But in the long run we would like people to send us their old clothes and specifications as to what they want us to do.”

The event was organised by the Enterprise Factory, which supports small businesses in Hathershaw and Fitton Hill.

The panel of businesses included the Enterprise Factory, New Deal for Communities and Lloyds TSB.

Fiona added: “We didn’t think we had much chance of winning. It was a big shock.”

North Chadderton and St Cuthbert’s (which is on the Rochdale border) tied for second place while Failsworth and Blue Coat were joint third.