LLANDOVERY College Sixth Former Huw Richards-Price has won the Aspiring Entrepreneur Award at the University of South Wales’ ‘Making Business Happen Awards’ held recently at their Newport City Campus.
Huw was presented with a cheque for £3,000 to be shared with Llandovery College and he will also receive legal, financial and business mentoring and support from the University of South Wales Business School.
Now in its second year, the NatWest sponsored competition saw a very high calibre of entrants from across the country.
Open to school and college students, individuals or groups of up to five people had to come up with a business idea, or solution to a problem in their own community or the wider marketplace.
At the two day event, Huw delivered his business plan and presentation to six prominent business leaders and in front of an audience of around 50 people.
His winning project, entitled ‘The Local Food Initiative’ aims to reconnect communities with local sustainable food.
As Huw outlined in his presentation: “Promoting the benefits of local food and helping build links between growers and their communities will assist the local economy, as money will stay in the area, it will also benefit the environment, since sustainable growing methods and being local will mean there will be minimal impact.
“Communities will become more resilient and more food secure: they won’t depend on sourcing food from afar. By improving the links with local food, communities can work together and know exactly what they are eating.”
To this end, Huw plans to develop a ‘one stop shop’ for producers, retailers and the general public providing information, advice and support, for example through online training courses, books and podcasts, going to speak in schools and societies/groups.
Having been brought up on a smallholding near Tregaron, his interest in local organic and sustainable food production has been a subject close to his heart since he was a young boy.
He has already set up his Local Food Initiative business with a website and YouTube channel which has had five million views with 26,000 followers from across 182 countries.
Within the College itself, Huw’s passion is reflected in his active involvement in a number of initiatives such as establishing raised vegetable beds, creating a greenhouse out of recycled bottles, conserving electricity by the ‘switch lights off’ campaign, waste recycling and raising money on the ‘Go Green Day’. He also chairs the Sustainability Group within Llandovery College.
Mr Guy Ayling, Warden added: “equipping our pupils with the skills and confidence to make a positive difference in society is a central aim of the College, and Huw provides a great example of what can be achieved.”
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