YOUNG entrepreneurs in Plymouth will be in the running for one of The Herald's Youth Awards 2009 – as long as people in the city nominate them over the next fortnight.

The Herald is today calling on people in Plymouth to nominate deserving under-18s with good business heads for The Herald Young Business Award this year.

The award is one of 12 prizes The Herald will be presenting at this year's Youth Awards at City College Plymouth's Kings Road campus on November 19.

The award, which is being sponsored by John Kitto Community College, aims to find the city's next young entrepreneur or group of entrepreneurs – and celebrate the business acumen of Plymouth's young people.

It may be awarded to a group or individual aged under 18 who has shown exceptional talent through a business idea or initiative over the past 12 months.

Last year's winners of the award – which was then called The Herald's Most Enterprising Youth in Business award – were children from Woodfield Primary School in Whitleigh.

They set up their own bank, with the support of St Boniface's College, to help the pupils understand the basics of managing money.

Every child had the chance to open an account and pay in money.

Joanne Watson, who was nine at the time, said the team had "really enjoyed doing it" and had "learned a lot".

Suzanne Littler, Year 6 teacher and economic awareness co-ordinator at the school, said it was an honour to win the award last year.

She said: "Our bank project was really good because it was a project we put together with funding from St Boniface College and help from NatWest bank.

"The children were so enthusiastic about it and it's been working really well ever since.

"We re-launched the bank again this year for the new children who have come through."

Ms Littler said the children had learned 'financial education' and 'economic awareness' as a result of the project – and they were proud to win The Herald award.

She said: "The children loved seeing themselves in the newspaper and they really enjoyed the awards ceremony.

"They loved meeting Tom Daley, who presented the award, and they got quite a bit of kudos from winning it.

"It is a great award to win. It is important that people nominate other young people this year for the award."

DETAILS: Categories and nominations

THE Herald Youth Awards 2009 recognise the achievements of the most enterprising youths in Plymouth.

Most

of the 12 awards are sponsored – and there are three main sponsors for

the entire event: City College Plymouth, Apex Core Training and

Plymouth City Council.

The three organisations have got behind

The Herald's campaign to find the most deserving young people in the

city and shout about their worthy achievements.

The awards were

launched last month – and we want teachers, parents and others in the

city to nominate those young people who have achieved great success in

their activities over the past year.

We will then study the

nominations and choose our winners, who will be announced at the awards

ceremony at City College Plymouth's Kings Road campus.

The entries will be judged by a panel of judges headed by The Herald's editor Bill Martin.

The

awards are part of Plymouth Enterprise Week. The five-day Enterprise

Week festivities are being organised to champion business in the city

as part of National Enterprise Week.

The different categories of awards this year are:

The Herald Young Hero Award, sponsored by UCP Marjon.

The Herald Young Business Award, sponsored by John Kitto Community College.

School's Herald Team of the Year, sponsored by The Herald.

Crime Reduction Project of the Year, sponsored by Devon and Cornwall Police.

Environmental Project of the Year, sponsored by Wales and West Utilities.

Fundraising Project of the Year, sponsored by Weapons of Sound.

Prince's Trust Matthew Searle Award, sponsored by City College Plymouth.

University

of Plymouth Business Ideas Challenge Enterprise Progress Award,

University of Plymouth Enterprise Week Flux Winners and University of

Plymouth Student Volunteer of the year – all three sponsored by the

university.

Make Your Mark Challenge Award, sponsored by the I-Space facility at UCP Marjon.

Plymouth Schools Enginuity Challenge.

Nominations

are being taken now by The Herald for the Young Hero, Young Person in

Business, Environmental Project and Fundraising Project awards. The

closing date for nominations is Monday October 26. To nominate follow

instructions at: www.thisis plymouth.co.uk/ya

We are delighted to sponsor prize

THE principal of John Kitto Community College is urging people to

put enterprising youths forward for The Herald Young Business Award.

Peter

Grainger said there were scores of young people in the city who have

shown they are good at business over the past year – however he

emphasised that they need to be nominated in the next two weeks.

The

Business and Enterprise specialist college in Plymouth is sponsoring

The Herald Young Business Award this year and it is encouraging as many

people in the city as possible to nominate those who have excelled in

enterprise.

Mr Grainger said: "We want young people who have shown this year that they have good heads for business to be nominated now.

"It

could be anything from a young person or group of young people starting

up a company to someone under 18 years old winning a business award or

helping out in a business.

"We are delighted to be involved in

the awards this year and to be sponsoring this award. We are sure it

will go to a worthy winner or winners."

John Kitto Community

College, which is set to gain academy status under current education

plans, has a fine tradition of business success for students, said Mr

Grainger.

He said: "We are a Business and Enterprise specialist

college and we are pleased to present this award which will recognise

the best young entrepreneurs in the city this year.

"We look forward to congratulating the winner or winners."