A team of enterprising students from Ballakermeen High School have been crowned HSBC Student Company of the Year after developing an innovative range of kitchen tools designed to help people living with arthritis.

The group, who go by the name Artheasy, impressed the judges with their business idea, which aims to make everyday life easier for those who suffer from joint pain.

The winning team is made up of Guy Guiness, Olly Nandha, Jacob Harding, Shenton Cassidy and Isaac Quayley, who took inspiration from personal experience.

The idea came about after the grandmother of one of the team highlighted the difficulty she faced in holding a knife to cut vegetables due to arthritis.

With an estimated 350 million people worldwide living with the condition, which can severely limit mobility and independence, the team saw an opportunity to make a real difference. They set out to design a range of affordable and functional tools to help people living with arthritis regain confidence in the kitchen and rediscover the simple joys of preparing meals.

Their final product range was praised by the judging panel for its practical application, thoughtful design and potential to make a lasting positive impact.

Artheasy was one of more than 20 student companies, involving over 120 students from across the island’s high schools, who took part in the annual Junior Achievement Company Programme finals, held at the Villa Marina. Since September, Year 12 students have been working in teams to create, develop and market their own business ideas as part of the programme.

The competition, now a mainstay of the academic calendar for more than 30 years, aims to equip young people with valuable skills for the world of work. Throughout the programme, students are supported by Volunteer Business Mentors from the local business community. Each year, more than 360,000 students across Europe take part in Junior Achievement Company Programmes, learning essential skills such as teamwork, financial literacy, problem-solving and entrepreneurship.

As winners, Artheasy will now go on to represent the Isle of Man at GEN-E, Europe’s largest entrepreneurship festival, to be held in Athens this July. They will compete against student companies from 41 other countries for the prestigious European Company of the Year Award.

Sue Cook, Chief Executive of Junior Achievement Isle of Man, said: ‘We are delighted that HSBC locally supports this fantastic programme. Without its collaboration, we would not be able to offer this experience to students.’

She added that the programme has proved life-changing for many participants: ‘Students have used the experience to gain university places, employment or even start their own businesses. Success stories like Callum Staley, a past winner who went on to found CJS Photography and is now a judge for the local finals, show the lasting impact.’

Adam Belfield, Head of International Wealth and Premier Banking at HSBC, added: ‘Supporting young people to develop and nurture their entrepreneurial spirit is incredibly rewarding and it has been a delight to follow the growth of this year’s cohort.’