A cash injection from a High Street bank is helping pupils at a Melksham school take part in an initiative designed to encourage young entrepreneurs.

Barclays Bank donated £25,000 towards the Young Enterprise South West scheme - a contest helping small teams of pupils from schools across the region come up with their own marketable products.

The winners of the contest will go onto compete nationwide.

Teams of students from George Ward School in Melksham are among those due to compete in the next stage of the competition - the Central Wiltshire area final on May 5 in Devizes Town Hall, with the winners going on to the county finals.

A trade fair was held in February with George Ward’s Thread Shed company, which makes personalised garments winning the over 16s section. The school’s other company, Clix, won the Labyrinth Service Excellence Cup.

Paula Molyneux, community relations manager for Barclays, said: “We are proud to support Young Enterprise and see the real value of young people undertaking the company programme.

“We want to make a lasting difference to these pupils and by giving them the necessary skills and knowledge, we want to encourage them to reach their full potential and raise their aspirations.”

The George Ward School said it was impotant that students were given “real-life” experiences, especially during the adverse economic conditions.