An origami-based gift company has bagged a top entrepreneurial prize in a competition for young business minds.

Students from Cockermouth School were crowned Cumbria's Best Company at the Young Enterprise county final.

FOLD was among the six companies from around the county to exhibit their products and services.

The 16 and 17-year-olds who launched their firms last September also gave judges a rundown of their year in business during the event at the Crown & Mitre Hotel, Carlisle.

Members of FOLD are now set to represent Cumbria in the north west regional final, being held in Preston on June 14.

They will be joined by Cumbria Cash Cows from Nelson Thomlinson School, Wigton, who were named runners-up after winning an award for best company report at Wednesday's county final.

FOLD sold and manufactured origami based gift sets to help relieve the

stress of modern day life.

Isla Campbell, FOLD's managing director, said: "We are absolutely delighted to have won this award, and are so relieved that all of our hard work and dedication has been worth it.

"Since we started our company programme in September, we all have learnt so much.

"We are all now more confident in our own abilities, skills and have learnt how to work better as a team."

Cumbria Cash Cows was a team of just six teenagers.

Teacher Steph Walker, head of business at The Nelson Thomlinson School, said: "With only six team members, the workload to complete the programme has been even more intense than previous years but all six of them have worked together to create a viable, sustainable exciting business concept.

"The judges commented on the innovative nature of their financial skills board game and felt it addressed such a vital life skill.

"The team were absolutely thrilled to win Best Company Report and are already thinking about how to move the business forward for the next round of the competition. However, all the students will be sitting their AS Level exams in two weeks time, so they have a huge amount of work to manage."

Other teams included Twice Loved from Caldew School, Dalston; and Taste of Home from Netherhall School, Maryport. The line-up was completed by The Lakes School near Windermere and Dallam International School at Milnthorpe.

Young Enterprise’s Strategic Cumbria Finals was supported by Carlisle City Council, CN Group and Lookers Nissan Carlisle and is aimed at 15 to 19 year olds.

Participants set up and run businesses for an academic year, guided by local business mentors.

Julia Mullarkey, Young Enterprise Cumbria Area Manager, said: "We had some great companies started up by students all over Cumbria this year and the judges were incredibly impressed with the products and services

they had developed, and the presentations they gave at the awards.

"The awards highlighted how the scheme can inspire young people to become the entrepreneurs of tomorrow and help them develop practical business skills while they are still at school."

Michael Mercieca, chief executive of Young Enterprise said: "The company programme is a great platform for students to develop their skills such as confidence, teamwork and resilience and interact with their local business community along the way."

Young Enterprise is the UK’s leading enterprise and financial education charity working with young people aged four to 25.