Three pupils from St George’s School in Ascot were lauded by business tycoon, Peter Jones, for their ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit during a star-studded fundraising gala in the heart of the Surrey countryside.

The event took place on Wednesday, April 24 at Foxhills Country Club in Lyne, Surrey.

Renowned for his role on BBC's Dragon’s Den, Jones organised the event to support the Peter Jones Charitable Foundation which runs the Tycoon Enterprise competition for UK schools.

The Tycoon Enterprise competition is an educational initiative designed to inspire and develop the entrepreneurial skills of young people across the UK. Participating students are given the opportunity to form their own businesses, with support and funding from the Peter Jones Foundation.

The representatives from Tycoon Enterprise Student Company DEJA – a team from St Georges School - were welcomed to the gala after impressing industry experts.

DEJA - who designed, manufactured and marketed sustainably produced multi-function cosmetics bags in a wide variety of patterns - received commendations.

Peter Jones said: "This company is amazing - you should all be so proud of yourselves."

His praise highlighted the exceptional creativity and hard work of the DEJA team, reinforcing the purpose of the Tycoon Enterprise competition in nurturing young talent.

The representatives from the Ascot girls school were just one of two student companies chosen to attend the event from across the region.

Students mingled with the likes of football legend Alan Shearer, and Thom Evans, a former Scottish International rugby union player during the night at the Surrey estate.

This prestigious event was organised to support the Peter Jones Charitable Foundation, which runs the Tycoon Enterprise competition for UK schools.

All funds raised during this celebrity-filled event, which featured a high profile golf tournament, are used to provide next year's cohort of Tycoon Enterprise competitors with goodwill loans, enabling them to kickstart their business ventures.

The competition aims to cultivate a new generation of business leaders by providing practical experience and financial backing, thereby fostering innovation and enterprise among students.

Located on Wells Lane, St George’s School is an independent girls boarding school for girls aged 11 to 17.