YOUNG Wirral entrepreneurs are being invited to help raise cash for the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.

Now in its third year, the 50/50 Enterprise Competition is asking primary school students in year 5 to devise a business scheme that can create a profit from £50 of seed-funding.

Over the last few years, students across Merseyside have devised a variety of money-making schemes such as: cake sales; plays; pyjama days; Christmas fairs; raffles; film and bingo nights; football shoot-outs; toy sales and disco-dance parties.

All profits made from Wirral's budding entrepreneurs will support the work of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.

Launched on October 7, the competition is sponsored by Parentapps - a Liverpool company that supplies apps and websites that enable schools and nurseries to communicate with parents directly.

Nick Hill, who’s coordinating the competition for the charity, told the Globe: “The 50/50 Enterprise Competition is a great opportunity for youngsters to show their ingenuity.

"If their idea is strong enough and they put in the work, there’s every chance they’ll succeed.

"What they choose to do is entirely up to them, providing it’s legal!

“We’re absolutely thrilled to have Parentapps as our headline sponsor.

Wirral Globe:

"It’s a great fit, because they work closely with schools and parents, and they’re a textbook example of how to translate a simple idea into a practical solution for a real need and use that to build a thriving business.

"We want people with experience of running businesses to become mentors to our young entrepreneurs.

“It would be wonderful if they could spare a little time to work with the schools and show the youngsters how make good decisions, how to market their schemes, and show a profit.

“This a great opportunity to bring schools and firms together and we hope it will inspire young people to go into business when they’re older. That would benefit the whole community."

Schools across Liverpool, St Helens, Knowsley and Halton have already signed up but the competition is now looking for entries from Wirral.

Managing director of Parentapps, Kevin Clayton said: "I’m really excited to be working with Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation on this project.

"Not only are we helping an amazing charity but we’re also looking forward to working with these young students to give them an insight into running their own business.

"As a child, I was always looking at ways to make money, such as minding cars on match days or making toffees to sell in school.

"If we can sow the seed of entrepreneurship at a such a young age then it may give the children something to aspire to as they progress through their education."

With all profits going to support lung cancer research projects, there will be prizes for the most innovative idea, best team work and the project that generated the biggest profit.

Any schools who wish to sign up to the enterprise competition can do so via www.roycastle.org/enterprisecompetition