T Level Management & Administration learners have undertaken Young Enterprise this year as an enrichment activity. Their business idea came from the learners having a linked passion about fashion and sustainability and Truly Retro was established. The learners were allocated Business Mentors, Guy Wells from AJ Wells and Pete Robbins for All Things Printed.
Truly Retro’s mission statement is “Helping to save the planet through fashion” and to do this they hoped to be able to reduce the amount of clothes that go to landfill as every second a lorry of clothes is dumped in landfill.
Truly Retro bought Jeans and Hoodies in bulk that were classed as grade B and could have landed up in landfill and sold them on Vinted and Ebay. To follow their sustainability ethos, they also used recyclable packaging, thank you cards and business cards.
Truly Retro sold shares initially to set up the business and also won £50 at a Dragons Den type Presentation. Drawing toward the end of the Young Enterprise program the Truly Retro along with 6 other school and colleges on the Island gathered together at Quay Arts for the Isle of Wight Final.
Truly Retro won the Sustainability Award and were placed second overall and this meant they went through to the Hampshire/Isle of Wight Finals held in Southampton and at this Final, Truly Retro were awarded the Sustainability Award.
Learners had to develop a wide range of skills including teamwork, communication and presentational skills. They also had to apply knowledge they were learning in the Management and Administration course to be able to run their business. They had regular meeting with their Business Mentors and also visited AJ Wells and Rapanui to get inspiration and advise on business procedures and how to be more sustainable. They also linked with Lee Howes The sustainability Manager with Red Funnel and discussed logistics and sustainable business planning.
