News Article

The first Greater Manchester Company Programme Area Final took place on Thursday 15th April 2010 at Manchester United Football Club, and set Manchester off to a great start with 9 companies competing for a place at the Greater Manchester Final on 6th May.

The evening was supported by a number of organisations including MUFC, Laing O'Rourke, The Trafford Centre, Kellogg's, Baby Loves Disco Ltd, IBM, and Pitney Bowes Management Services.

On the evening teams were asked to set up a business display stand, as well as present their experiences of managing their business to the judges and explain how their business had grown.

The evening resulted in Dimension from Altrincham Boys Grammar School scooping the award for Best Overall Company, as well as The Manchester United Foundation Best Trade Stand, and their teacher Tom Murray winning Link Teacher of the Year award.

Runner's up STAFF and Student of the Year Daisy Millard were from St Antony's Catholic College.

The IBM Award for Best Report went to Dragonfly of Sale Grammar School. The Pitney Bowes Management Services Award for Process, Administration and Presentation was awarded to idesign also of Sale Grammar School.

The Eric Francis Award for Adviser of the Year went to Karen Shotbolt of Manchester United, adviser of two Company Programme teams this year.

Dimension will now move on to the Greater Manchester final to represent their area at Lancashire County Cricket Club on the 6th May.

The winning company will then go on to represent Greater Manchester at the North West regional final to be held on 22nd June 2010 at Old Trafford Football Ground and hopefully at the National final in London in July.