Pupils get their hands dirty. . .

Year 8 and 9 students gave a brief presentation on their Challenge entry, growing herbs and using them in cookery, to 2012 President Mich Stevenson OBE, who initiated the idea.

Seven schools across Notts have entered the challenge – to create an environmentally-friendly viable business venture – which will be judged by an expert panel at the county show in May.

The winning school will be presented with a prize of £1,000, donated personally by Mr Stevenson, on the Saturday afternoon of the show.

Following his meeting with the students of Tuxford Academy, Mich Stevenson said: “I am very impressed. Tuxford is the first school to invite me which shows their interest in the project. I am very impressed by their structure and understanding of the business of growing and saving herbs.”

“They’ve got some competition – which is the name of the game. My idea is for each succeeding president to hold the competition every year. As an entrepreneur and chairman of the East and West Midlands Venture Capital Fund it is my hope that these young people will discover how exciting it is to invent things.”

Headteacher Geoff Lloyd said it was a privilege to host the launch. “This kind of opportunity created by the president has motivated our students,” he said.

Project Leader Delia Higgins agreed: “This has been a fabulous opportunity to share the work we are trying to do and it has been an ideal way to focus our work and thoughts.”

Newark and Nottinghamshire County Show Manager, Sally Hughes, was delighted with the response from schools to the challenge.

She said: “It is a wonderful way to involve young people with the county show. The Tuxford submission reflects the students’ links to agriculture and the whole concept strengthens the ties between the show and its communities.”