THE best young retailing brains from schools across South Worcestershire will line Worcester High Street on Saturday, March 1 to test their selling and customer service skills. They will be taking part in the Young Enterprise annual Trade Fair, which gives students the opportunity to showcase the culmination of six months hard work.

Held for the first time in the High Street, the fair provides a platform for students to be judged by a panel of experienced business leaders including experts in the retail sector. The marks are then added to the second and third round results of the overall competition to be held later on in the spring.

Nine schools will be taking part and items for sale include children’s games, oak chopping boards, gardening boxes, cup cake decorating kits, natural bath bombs and other cosmetics as well as hand- made scented candles in various guises.

Chairman of South Worcestershire’s Young Enterprise Board Paul Moult said.”We are really excited as this well attended annual event has never been held in the High Street before so the students are looking forward to taking advantage of the busy passing footfall. We’d like to extend our special thanks to Peplow Jewellers for giving us the use of their splendid boardroom where we can house our panel of judges. Peplow Jewellers is one of Worcestershire’s oldest established retailers and Alison Pickerill who is based at the Worcester branch will be joining other business professionals to judge our young entrepreneurs. We would also like to convey our thanks to the Mayor of Worcester Councillor Pat Agar for opening the event as well as the City Council for their help in allowing us to set up stalls in the High Street. After the frustration of the wet weather we are confident that the students will enjoy a busy day and visiting shoppers will take advantage of the range of competitively priced and innovatively crafted products on offer.”

Cllr Pat Agar will open the event at 10.00am.