A GROUP of entrepreneurial students are learning new business skills after setting up their own greetings card company.

Managing director and sales director Alice Mainwood, financial director Pippa Adams, marketing director Viviane Ghiglino, advertising director Sameera Bowers and product design directors Mairi McGenity and Mia Burdorf are the brains behind WeFold Designs.

They are all Colchester County High School for Girls Sixth Form College students and sell greetings cards with origami paper, so recipients can make their own model to go with the card.

All 16 or 17, the girls set up the business four months ago and have been delighted with their progress so far.

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Miss Mainwood said: "As a Young Enterprise, we're learning business skills on the job.

"Throughout lockdown, while college has been closed, we've been working hard on creating new designs, planning how to sell in these challenging circumstances and working on developing accountancy skills.

"In addition, we've been making our instructive YouTube videos.

"These are to help people make the origami models.

"Lockdown has presented a variety of challenges but we're optimistic we can continue trading and learning crucial business skills.

"The support of the local community is absolutely vital.

"We're a small business and learning on the job, meaning all the support we get is hugely appreciated.

"All our orders help us learn new skills and understand the processes involved with owning a business more thoroughly."

Gazette: One of our most popular designs so far. This card comes with origami paper to make a blue heart.

At the moment, the girls sell four unique origami cards, designed to help people stay in touch with loved ones during lockdown.

One of them is a design saying ‘can’t wait to see your face again’.

It is proving one of their most popular designs and comes with origami paper to make a blue heart.

The other three designs include a bunting birthday card, complete with origami paper to make a star, a whale birthday card and a floral heart card reading ‘thank you for everything you do’.

The latter comes with origami paper to make a tulip.

Gazette: This design is ideal for Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, or as a thank you to a friend or family member. It comes with origami paper to make a tulip.

"Our floral heart card would be perfect as a Valentine’s Day card, Mother’s Day card or simply to say thank you to a supportive friend in lockdown," added Miss Mainwood.

"Each card comes with a QR code to our YouTube video, where recipients can learn how to make their models from our tutorial.

"We would be incredibly pleased to hear from anyone interesting in buying from us, either by email (wefolddesigns@gmail.com), Instagram (@WeFoldDesigns) or Facebook (Wefold Essex)."

Gazette: This is our whale design, which we think is perfect as a birthday card. It comes with blue orrigami paper to make a whale. Our other birthday card has bunting on, and comes with origmai paper to make a sat.

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