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2008 Winners

Kent school crowned national champions

A Kent school has won the coveted Trading Standards Institute (TSI) Young Consumers of the Year 2008 competition, sponsored by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) – taking home the College of Fellows trophy, medals and £1,000 for their school.

The team from Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys, in Kent – led by their captain Joe Mooney, aged 17 – clinched the title at the TSI’s Annual Conference and Exhibition in Bournemouth, on Wednesday (25 June). The award was presented by OFT Chief Executive John Fingleton.

(back from left) Dan Keim, Geoff Baldwin, Ben Abrams and Joe Mooney with (front from left) Clive Bainbridge, head of Trading Standards at Kent County Council, Sandra Cook, Young Consumers coordinator at Kent Trading Standards, and teacher Darren Butler.

Hundreds of schools from across the country entered this year’s competition to find Britain’s best-informed young consumers.

Teams from 10 regions competed in the semi-finals at Bournemouth – and Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys, representing the South East region, beat three other teams in the grand final. Young Consumers of the Year, organised by TSI, offers young people the chance to show their awareness of the world around them and their ability to make informed choices about what they eat, what they buy and how they manage their money.

John Fingleton, OFT Chief Executive, said: "Consumers are expected to navigate and make important decisions in increasingly complex markets.

"The education of young consumers about their rights and responsibilities is a central platform for better performing, more efficient and responsive markets. “Congratulations to everyone who has taken part – the OFT is very proud to be involved."

The winning team - made up of Dan Keim, aged 16, Geoff Baldwin, Ben Abrams and Joe Mooney, all aged 17 – beat Boroughmuir High School, from Edinburgh, Ackworth School, from Wakefield, and Stockport Grammar, from Manchester, in the grand final.

Teacher Darren Butler said: “It has been an amazing experience and the team’s victory is testament to the hard work they have put into learning information and also their interest in the subject matter, as well as their keenness to enter a competition like this.

"I have been impressed by the effort and knowledge of all the teams in the final."

Mike Drewry, the competition’s lead officer from TSI, said: "We congratulate all the young people who entered this year’s competition – they will have gained knowledge and awareness which will stay with them for life. The team from Kent were very worthy winners and did well to come back from being nine points down in the final round."

Photographs and interviews of the winners are available upon request.