WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS November/December 2014 37 Enterprise accolade no joke for Just Kidding They may be Just Kidding but business success is no joke for the lion foundation Waikato-King Country Young Enterprise Scheme Company of the Year. J ust Kidding Babysitting, of Waikato Diocesan School for Girls, took home a trio of prizes from the annual regional YES awards recently including the top honour, University of Waikato Leadership Award for chief executive Victoria Chan and the Staples Rodway Financial Management Award. The on-line babysitting service created by eight directors will now vie for New Zealand-wide recognition at the national YES Awards, to be held in Wellington in December. YES regional co-ordinator Mary Jensen, of Smart Waikato Trust, said Just Kidding’s “polished and professional” approach to business helped clinch the award. “Just Kidding can be extremely proud of everything they have achieved this year. Waikato-King Country can also be proud to have them represent us at the national awards,” Mary said. The company will be up against 18 others in the national final, where they will pitch their business to a panel of 2 1 judges. Hamilton Girls’ High School’s Martin Mitchell was also honoured at the awards for his services to YES. “This initiative relies on the excellent teachers and mentors who get behind the students 3 6 and encourage them. In fact, Martin has been responsible for 150 Hamilton Girls’ High School students doing the programme,” Mary said. About 300 years 12 and 13 students from throughout the region were involved in the YES initiative this year, participating in a year-long programme where they set up a real business and research, develop, produce and market a real product to make a profit. YES AWARD WINNERS WAIKATO/KING COUNTRY: • Wintec Waikato-King Country Young Enterprise Company of the Year: Just Kidding Babysitting, Waikato Diocesan School for Girls • Cambridge Chamber of Commerce Sustainability Award: Chop Top, Putaruru College • SkyCity Community Trust Social Enterprise Award: WANZ, Cambridge High School • EMA Waikato Innovation Award: Top Lap, St Peter’s School • Award for Services to YES: Martin Mitchell, head of social sciences at Hamilton Girls’ High School • Waikato Business News Sales and Marketing Award: Scentsation, Hamilton Girls’ High School • Waikato Chamber of Commerce Teamwork Award: Serene Scents, Hamilton Girls’ High School • Staples Rodway Financial Management Award: Just Kidding Babysitting, Waikato Diocesan School for Girls • Stafford Engineering Award for Technology: Sigmar Solar, Matamata College • University of Waikato Leadership Award: Victoria Chan, Just Kidding Babysitting chief executive 4 5 7 8 9 10 1. Wintec Waikato-King Country Young Enterprise Company of the Year: Just Kidding Babysitting, Waikato Diocesan School for Girls with presenter Emma Patton. 2. Waikato Business News Sales and Marketing Award: Scentsation, Hamilton Girls’ High School with Alan Neben. 3. University of Waikato Leadership Award: Victoria Chan, Just Kidding Babysitting chief executive and presenter Catherine Downes. 4. EMA Waikato Innovation Award: Top Lap, St Peter’s School, with presenter Niall Fuller. 5. Cambridge Chamber of Commerce Sustainability Award: Chop Top, Putaruru College, with presenter LesleyAnn Thomas. 6. Te Wananga o Aotearoa Award for Services to YES: Martin Mitchell, Hamilton Girls’ High School, right, with presenter Delon Birch. 7. Waikato Chamber of Commerce Teamwork Award: Serene Scents, Hamilton Girls’ High School, with Sasha Webb, of the Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Trust. 8. SkyCity Community Trust Social Enterprise Award: WANZ, Cambridge High School, with presenter Sarah Morton-Johnson, Smart Waikato trustee, left, and teacher Tina Rose. 9. Just Kidding Babysitting show off their trio of awards, with teacher Pushpa Reddy, left, principal Vicky McLennan, centre, and YES mentor Ken Williamson. 10. Stafford Engineering Award for Technology: Sigmar Solar, Matamata College, with Kaleb James and teacher Martin Redwood. Principal Sponsors Regional Sponsors Category Sponsors Business News