Friends united to win £50,000 business start-up prize

Collyer’s student James Seear, from Balcombe, and Thomas Williams, who attends Christ Hospital School, have won the “Young Start-up Talent” award for setting up their own business. They set up a web-site called recyclabook.co.uk, which invites students to recycle textbooks on-line.

James was delighted: “It’s a huge honour to win this highly regarded competition. I study business at Collyer’s and it has been a real eye-opener to put theory into practice. It was hard work, but definitely worth it in the end!” 

The Young Start Up Talent competition’s aim is to inspire young people aged between 16 and 21 who are interested in becoming business leaders and entrepreneurs. The two friends, who are both 17, beat off stiff competition to win the first prize of £50,000 worth of sponsored products and services. 

James added: “The really hard work starts now for Thomas and I. We see this prize as hopefully just the start of a really successful business partnership. The idea of recyclabook is a simple one that it already proving extremely popular”.