• Gazelle Local Launch

  06 June 2013

  • We will be unveiling Gazelle Local at Highbury Campus on Thursday 6 June. Businesses and entrepreneurs are invited to attend the launch to find out how they can work with our learning companies and help shape the future of education. It will be an opportunity to learn how they can actively support the college and its entrepreneurial ethos through mentoring, or helping the college to capitalise on its access to the community .
• HE Open Day

  25 June 2013

  • Highbury College Portsmouth offers a genuine alternative to university. Our Foundation Degrees, HNCs and other university level courses are career focused, high quality, local and affordable.
• Celebration of Achievement

  12 July 2013

  • This annual event held at The Guildhall, Portsmouth acknowledges the achievements of both higher and further education students from Highbury College

A group of Highbury students are designing, producing and selling Olympic-themed pants to promote Fairtrade in the fashion industry. 

The students are competing with FE colleges around the country to sell the most pairs of pants in the 'Pantrepreneur Challenge'.

The challenge was set by Pants to Poverty, a Fairtrade underwear brand, and Gazelle, a nationwide network of College Principals committed to driving entrepreneurship in the education sector.

Ben Ramsden, founder of Pants to Poverty and Gazelle Entrepreneur said: "For young people starting their careers in today's economic climate, it is more important than ever to encourage and inspire them to start their own businesses and get experience whilst at college.

"This competition will give students the chance to learn how to run their own business, while also designing a very sexy pair of pants! What's more, students will see how even small businesses can change the world for the better."

Danielle Houghton, 20, is a member of 'Brief Encounters', the Highbury College team who hope their product will have the best 'bottom line'. "This competition is not only a bit of fun; it will help people that are struggling in third world countries. I love the feeling and satisfaction you get from helping others."

Listen to the full interview on Radio Solent here.

All profits from the pants sold will go to Pi Foundation, a charity set up by Pants to Poverty supporting farming and factory communities in India. The team that sells the most pants will have the chance to travel to India and see the Pants to Poverty supply chain in action, from cotton to bottom.

Teammate Natasha Chan, 17, commented: "Pants to Poverty is giving students like me an opportunity to develop my marketing skills in the real world and help people in India at the same time. Having a goal at the end of the experience to strive for gives me the motivation to be a good saleswoman."

Dominic Thompson, Business Lecturer at Highbury, added: "The Highbury 'pantrepreneurs' have designed an excellent pair of pants that they are selling in aid of the charity set up by Pants to Poverty. They have a stall at the Love Southsea Festival and are also climbing Mount Snowdon in June to raise cash. It's brilliant to see them applying their business knowledge and demonstrating entrepreneurial skills for such a good cause!"

To support the cause and help the 'Brief Encounters' students on their way to India 'like' their Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/PantsForPoverty and pick up some pants.

The team will be attending events all over Portsmouth to sell their pants and promote the values of Fairtrade.

Runners up in the competition will put their business skills into action by running a 'Pants to Poverty' stall at festivals throughout the summer, and the third prize will be a year's worth of Pants to Poverty underwear.

Pants to Poverty is a leading British Fairtrade and Organic underwear brand established in 2005 as part of the Make Poverty History Campaign to develop a new business model for fashion.

Highbury is one of fifteen Gazelle colleges taking part in the competition. The college is committed to Gazelle's initiative to bring enterprise into further education and are collaborating with Peter Jones CBE, to launch two new Peter Jones Enterprise Academy (PJEA) courses at their Open Day on 16 May.

For more information about the competition and enterprise at Highbury College call (023) 9238 3131 or email info@highbury.ac.uk.