Students pitch innovative ideas to revitalise local town centres
Monday 23 March 2026
Creativity and entrepreneurial thinking were demonstrated by students from across the Borough during the MEA “The Future of our Town Centre” Student Pitch Challenge.
This Dragon’s Den style challenge invited post-primary students to present innovative ideas that could help increase footfall in the town centres. Organised by the Council’s Town Centre Team it encouraged young people to think critically about the future of their communities while developing key entrepreneurial and presentation skills.
Four schools participated in the challenge – Slemish College, Ballymena Academy, Cambridge House Grammar and Larne Grammar School. Each school entered teams of up to six students, tasked with creating a proposal that could revitalise their local town centre.
Students explored why their town centres have experienced some decline in recent years before presenting an idea or event designed to bring people back into the area. Their ideas were evaluated by a Council judging panel using a detailed scoring system which included creativity, impact, feasibility and presentation.
Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford, said “I was genuinely impressed by the imagination and confidence shown by the students. Their ideas were innovative, thoughtful and full of potential, showing that the next generation has a real passion for shaping the future of our town centres. It’s exciting to see young people thinking so boldly about how the towns can become even more vibrant places to visit.”
Winners included teams from Cambridge House Grammar School in Ballymena and Larne Grammar School in Larne.
Students presented a wide range of proposals including night markets, cultural events and festivals alongside themed town centre events and outdoor cinema nights. Indoor markets and activity centres featuring foods from around the world and a town centre rewards App where shoppers collect points and receive incentives from local businesses were also part of their pitches.
Many of the students’ ideas showed strong potential to support local businesses, encourage community engagement and bring new visitors into the towns. These included rotating display pods for local artists and entrepreneurs to showcase their work within their community.
The Mid and East Antrim Town Centre Team hopes initiatives like this will continue to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators. Young people can play an important role in shaping vibrant and sustainable town centres in the future!