Students at Ballakermeen High School helped boost Junior Achievement’s funds by holding a dress-down day.

Through the ‘non-uniform’ day the students raised ?860.66, money that will help Junior Achievement’s work in schools, equipping young people with entrepreneurial skills for when they leave full-time education.

The school’s head teacher Adrienne Burnett said: ‘As ever, Ballakermeen High School is grateful to Junior Achievement Isle of Man for the host of programmes and opportunities delivered to students across the school. Junior Achievement runs sessions for a number of year groups, providing our young people with the essential skills required for when they leave education and enter the workplace.  We are particularly proud of our achievements in last year's company programme, which aims to give our students experience of the business world and in entrepreneurship.  A team from Ballakermeen sixth form won this year's Island competition and had the exciting experience of representing the Isle of Man at the European finals in Bucharest in July.'

Junior Achievement’s chief executive Sue Cook said: ‘Ballakermeen High School has long been an enthusiastic supporter of Junior Achievement and we’re enormously grateful to receive this tremendous donation. I am, of course, all in favour of school uniform, but the occasional dress-down day is, I’m sure, as welcome to the students as it us to us.’

Photo caption - Junior Achievement’s Joy Spence and Kirsty Coffey, front row left and second left, receive Ballakermeen High School’s donation from head teacher Adrienne Burnett and students Ben Lloyd-Bradley, Matthew Jack, Charlotte Bell, Lydia Whiteway and Maddy Smith. Picture Andrew Barton