Canterbury team takes top national YES award

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release

3 November 2010

Canterbury team, Oceanic Fusion, takes top national YES award

Oceanic Fusion of St. Thomas of Canterbury College won the Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme Company of the Year award for 2010 at the national Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) National Awards and Gala Dinner tonight.

Oceanic Fusion is the first Pasifika YES team in the South Island. To qualify for this, over half the team must be of Pasifika origin. The team is made up of Charlie Latulipe, Kasiamo Petelo, Mathew Elia, Thomas Scott, Caleb Reweti and Jordan Kolomatangi. They manufactured soap from natural ingredients sourced from the Pacific Islands.

Juanita Reddish of CORE Education, who sponsor and manage the YES programme in Canterbury, said of Oceanic Fusion, “What role models these boys have been. And what a wonderful spirit they have shown—they have donated all the profits the business has made back to the Pacific Islands.”

Following on from the success of their soap, Oceanic Fusion are about to launch a new product in the market: men’s moisturiser.

They were presented their award by Don Judkins of the Lions Foundation along with the Governor General, Sir Anand Satyanand.

For their efforts, members of Oceanic Fusion will receive a trophy and a cash prize of $2,000, and their school, St. Thomas of Canterbury College, will receive $3000 towards a project mutually agreed upon by the Lion Foundation and the school. In addition, each team member has been awarded a scholarship to study at Auckland’s AUT.

Jordan Kolomatangi, CEO of Oceanic Fusion said, “The whole team has worked so hard, and it is great to see our efforts rewarded in this way. It is an amazing product and we are very proud of what we have achieved”.

Three Canterbury teams take four national YES awards

In a successful evening for the region, Canterbury teams succeeded in winning four of the sixteen YES awards.

Oceanic Fusion added to their top award the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs Award for Excellence in Pasifika Business. The team was presented their award by the Minister of Pacific Island Affairs, the Honourable Georgina Te Heuheu. For this award, the company directors receive another $1000, a trophy, and St Thomas of Canterbury College receives another $1000.

Fernza, of Rangi Ruru, won the Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Trust Award for Sales and Marketing. Fernza produced and sold New Zealand chocolate with 100% recycled material packaging. The former Pacific Island Affairs Minister Luamanuvao Winnie Laban presented them with their award.

Juanita Reddish, said, “Fernza have been very serious about the project. While their YES company has been wound up as the scheme requires, they have now registered their business at the Companies Office, and intend developing the company next year while studying at university.”

My Security, from Christchurch Boys High, won the Young Enterprise Trust Award for Excellence in Service. My Security offer a security service aimed at young people holding parties. “They have made some arrangement with a local security firm for taking on the service”, said Juanita Reddish. They were presented their award by YES CEO, Terry Shubkin.

Both Fernza and My Security received a trophy and a cash prize of $1000 to the company directors.

Juanita Reddish, who took on the role as Canterbury Coordinator at the beginning of this year, said,“I’m very proud of these teams. All Canterbury should be proud of them. Having three teams at the national awards is an achievement in itself, but to also win the Company of the Year award is an outstanding achievement.”

CORE Education coordinates the Lion Foundation YES programme in the Canterbury region on behalf of the Young Enterprise Trust. YES is a national programme of the Young Enterprise Trust developed for secondary schools in New Zealand.

CORE Education, a not-for-profit charitable company, is one of New Zealand’s foremost educational research and development organisations. With over 80 staff nation-wide, CORE Education provides a range of services to schools and early childhood centres, with a particular focus on innovative and creative eLearning, curriculum support, ICT and school review.

>>> Ends

© Scoop Media