On Saturday 7 December, four EHC students will be taking part in the LEAP Enterprise Trade Fair at the Merrion Centre, as part of the LEAP Programme that is offered in our Enrichment programme.

LEAP is a Leeds-based charity that works with young people aged 11-19 who are interested in business & enterprise, and involves mentoring, competitions, and seminars. Here at EHC, the LEAP Programme is offered as one of our Enrichment options, allowing students to build valuable skills and develop their business on a weekly basis. Last year, our students’ company, The Keycap Company, won an award for Marketing Innovation at the LEAP Programme Awards for their fantastic work marketing their custom keyboard caps!

Our LEAP team this year consists of four Year 12 students – Ali, Jimmy, Muhammad, and Saad. Their company, Belting, features a variety of belts in a range of designs and sizes. Belting will be competing against over 20 other teams from across Leeds and West Yorkshire, with winners announced in April 2025.

Belting will be taking part in the LEAP Trade Fair at the Merrion Centre in Leeds on Saturday 7 December, where students are given the opportunity to sell their products to the general public, and awards are given for the best stalls. The Trade Fair is a chance for the students involved in LEAP to work on their marketing & persuasion skills, especially when convincing shoppers to buy their products.

The LEAP Programme involves many different aspects of creating a business, including creating a logo, website, and even social media accounts! The programme offers students the opportunity to develop skills that will support them in university, apprenticeships, and beyond, such as teamwork, communication, and decision-making.

The team at Belting are looking forward to presenting their business concept and products to the public on Saturday, with one student telling me: “We are proud of the variety of quality products we are bring the fair. I’ve developed some really useful skills through LEAP, and we all feel really confident [going into Saturday]”.

LEAP Enterprise 2024

Last year, our students’ company, The Keycap Company, won an award for Marketing Innovation at the LEAP Programme Awards for their fantastic work marketing their custom keyboard caps!