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23 September 2008
Sheffield students crowned European champions
Students from the University of Sheffield have become community champions of Europe, after winning the SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) European Symposium. The annual competition, which was held at the International Britannia Hotel in London, was an opportunity for nine European teams, including Sheffield, to showcase their work in the local community.
To claim the European title the eight students, who are part of Sheffield SIFE, presented a number of their key local projects. These included – an initiative to help visually impaired school children run a business, work with local schools on entrepreneurship and a project supporting the development of St Luke´s Hospice charity shops.
Sheffield SIFE enables students to take part in entrepreneurial activities during their time at the University, whilst making a difference in the community. The group undertake projects in the community designed to develop the SIFE principles of entrepreneurship, market economics, personal success skills, financial literacy and business ethics.
In their opening round Sheffield SIFE defeated teams from Poland and Germany, and in the final round teams from Albania and Sweden.
Calum Moore, Managing Director of Sheffield SIFE, said: "Representing the University of Sheffield and the UK in an international competition was incredible and becoming European Symposium champions is impossible to describe. SIFE is without doubt the most rewarding, exciting and valuable experience I have had whilst studying at the University. It´s been a truly amazing! I would like to thank all of our `SIFErs´ (SIFE members) and our advisers. Our success is testament to their devotion to making a difference in the community and we could not have done it without them!"
David Catton, the Chairman of Sheffield SIFE and Managing Director of Sheffield University Enterprises Limited, said: "I am delighted at the success of our Sheffield SIFE team. In just three years, they have incorporated their company, recruited a board, which I am especially proud to have been invited to chair, and carried out a significant number of projects demonstrating their entrepreneurship, commitment and enthusiasm to the benefit of the community. The members of Sheffield SIFE are splendid examples of all that is good in 21st Century student life."
Jim Ineson, Executive Director of SIFE UK, said: "SIFE UK is very proud of the achievement of Sheffield SIFE in winning the 2008 European Symposium. The Sheffield students presented their portfolio of sustainable projects in a very professional and business-like manner, concentrating very much on changing lives in their local community.
"This is the first international event that SIFE UK has won in our seven year history, and confirms our progress towards becoming a world-class SIFE organisation."
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