Release Date 28 May 2012

A University of Reading society that's inspiring students in business and enterprise has been named the country's best new student society.

SStartup, Reading University Entrepreneurs, won the accolade at the recent NACUE National Enterprise Awards 2012, the highest awards for UK enterprise societies.

SStartup aims to inspire, educate and support Reading students in business and enterprise. Launched in October 2011, over 250 students have already benefitted from the society's series of high quality events which teach basic business skills and encourage business thinking.

The society has also created a vast network of enterprise supporters from both the University and business to debate how the university can better educate its students to meet the demands of employers.

Petr Turon, first year student studying business and management. He said: "Being part of SStartup has given me a fantastic hands on business experience while at the University of Reading . I feel it has given me some of the skills I will need in my future career and given me the opportunity to make myself a far more employable graduate for the future."

SStartup has grown at an exponential rate. A recent independent report of UK university enterprise groups found SStartup to have achieved more in eight months than most university enterprise societies achieve in three years.

Oli Gibson, Founder of SStartup, said:  "To win such a prestigious award, particularly with so many other amazing enterprise societies across the country, is a huge honour. The team at SStartup have done a fantastic job this year and winning this award really highlights the importance of their work."

The NACUE best new society award is presented to a society that has developed and executed a successful series of events, developed an engaging brand and a clear strategy for growth. SStartup was also praised for its strategy for university and corporate engagement.

Richard Kuti, Head of Network at NACUE, added:  "For a society that is a year old, SStartup have excelled rapidly and demonstrated a fantastic understanding of what it takes to support student enterprise. The amount that they have achieved is inspiring, from securing interest from key stakeholders to putting on well-run events such as their Apprentice Challenge.

For more information about SStartup contact Oli Gibson, SStartup's Founder, via email: oli@sstartup.com or Sophie Dott, SStartup's President, via email: president@sstartup.com.

ENDS

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About SStartup

SStartup is a student led and university supported organisation that inspires, educates and supports students in business and enterprise. Launched in October 2011 we have impacted over 250 students through a series of high quality events, which teach basic business skills and encourage business thinking. SStartup brings together a vast network of enterprise supporters and influencers from both the university and corporate worlds to develop the SStartup strategy and debate how the university can better educate its students to meet the demands of employers.

Only eight months old, SStartup is committed to continue this growth, encouraging enterprise among students, improving graduate employability, developing links between students and business and ultimately making a basic business education available to all students no mater what their course.

Background

NACUE is a grassroots charity that stimulates student enterprise by supporting, connecting and representing enterprise societies, enterprising students and student entrepreneurs in Colleges and Universities across the UK. Launched in May 2009, NACUE now engages more than 87 enterprise societies in across the UK and represents the views of over 40,000 enterprising students to policy makers in all levels of Government, Industry and Education.

The NACUE National Enterprise Society Awards are an annual celebration, which bring together the most valued student enterprise supporters to celebrate and reward the very best achievements of enterprise societies and individual presidents within the NACUE network.