A MAJOR Barrow business is mentoring school pupils to turn a profit in a scheme to raise money for St Mary’s Hospice.

Furniture store Stollers has teamed up with the Pupil Referral Unit in Barrow to assist and mentor the children in trying to turn a £30 donation into the largest profit possible.

It is part of an Apprentice-style scheme across south Cumbria pairing up businesses and schools in a project called Battle to Succeed.

The Pupil Referral Unit has come up with two products - a homemade doorstop and felt key rings called “Odd-Bods”.

A Pupil Referral Unit is a type of school that offers education to students who are at risk of exclusion, permanently excluded from, or are not attending school for other reasons, such as illness or pregnancy.

The products are for sale at the reception and restaurant at the Stollers Store in Walney Road.

General manager Neill Berry said they were flying off the shelves.

“They have been selling really well," he said. “We are going to ask them for some more because we are running out.”

Pupils will be heading to the store this week to promote their items.

They are hoping to sell enough to make money to re-invest into more materials to make and sell more products.

Pupils from the school are from Barrow, Ulverston, Millom and the South Lakes.

Mr Berry added: “We were matched at random to this school but we are really keen to support them.

“We want to help them succeed and are really proud of our involvement.

“Hopefully with the right assistance they will prove to themselves that they can succeed and this will lead to better things in life for them.

“I am really excited about it. It gives you quite a buzz.”

The children, who range from between 11-13, worked with Stollers to produce a business plan for the products. Money raised for the project will go to Ulverston’s St Mary’s Hospice, which is funded through donations.