Fit Kidz App reaches the Final 10!

Newman students Anna Welch and Isabel Higginson, who both attended All Hallows, have been rubbing shoulders with some top names in the business world after reaching the final 10 in the Princes Trust’s iDEA competition.

Anna, who studies Physics, Biology, Chemistry and Maths and Isobel, who studies Maths, Economics, German and Spanish, were shortlisted from over 700 entries for the app that they have designed called the Fit Kidz app. The idea behind the girls’ app is to make fitness fun for kids, as most of the fitness apps available are aimed at adults.

Fit Kidz will be a game that only allows the player to advance through the levels when they have done a variety of exercises, which is picked up by the pedometer on their smartphone. Once you have worked through various levels you can redeem rewards such as free swimming lessons, further promoting the idea of keeping fit and healthy.

South Ribble Council were so impressed with the students’ idea that they have already pledged their support by offering 100 free swimming lessons as rewards for progress through the game.

Isobel and Anna did a lot of homework, talking to pupils at local primary schools and putting together a business plan. After reaching the top 100 they were invited down to London to pitch their idea before moving onto the next stage. Once the girls were down to the top 20, they were given a mentor, Dan Sutch, the Head of Development Research at the Nominet Trust.
They were also awarded £2,500 as a reward in order for them to create an animation, so they enlisted the help of an animator from Bristol.

Upon reaching the top 10, they were invited down to London to present their brief at Salesforce Tower, to a panel of five judges, followed by a networking event at St James’ Palace, where they were able to talk to many big names from the business world about their app.

Unfortunately the girls did not make it into the final three, but we are incredibly proud of all their efforts and wish them luck in the future with their app!