A student visited Buckingham Palace after winning a national business prize.

Ameena Bibi’s company ‘Occasions by Ameena’ beat off stiff competition from more than 112 teams to win the Tycoon in Schools Award for Sustainability. And the Nelson and Colne College student was presented with the award by by Dragon’s Den star Peter Jones and the Duke of York, Prince Andrew Her company makes and sells bespoke candles and other products.

Students taking part in the competition wrote a funding application to apply for a loan from the Peter Jones Foundation and those who were successful were given four weeks to trade and make as much profit as they could.

As well as her significant return on the original seed funding, judges were impressed by Occasions by Ameena’s unique products.

Peter Jones CBE said: “This business has huge potential not only locally but within other retailers and market fairs where these types of products are in great demand.

Ameena, her friends Aneesa Riaz and Irham Sajid, who helped on Ameena’s stall at markets and her Business Studies tutor and mentor Justine Thatcher travelled down to London.

She said “We had the best time and it was fantastic to meet the other competitors and see their projects. Some of the businesses were fantastic and to think that mine was considered to be on par with them was incredible.

Head of Business Studies, Justine Thatcher said, “This competition has transformed Ameena; she is bursting with confidence, energy and drive.

“She took a hobby and built it into a profitable business which has been recognised by Peter Jones as a sustainable business venture