Students from Parmiter’s School in Garston who united to form "Team Diligence" have won the 2014 Dragon’s Apprentice Challenge.

A dozen teams from schools in south west Hertfordshire and West Herts College competed to raise the most money in the most enterprising and innovative way in just three months, from an initial £100 given to them in September 2013.

Team Diligence raised £3,602 for their charity, Peace Hospice Care, the most money raised by any of the 12 teams.

Four teams were nominated as overall winners and invited to give a presentation to a panel of judges at an awards ceremony held at Watford Palace Theatre on Thursday last week.

Neil Clough, finalist of Lord Sugar’s Apprentice 2013, presented the Parmiter’s team with their prize of overall winner.

Dubbed "the right man with the wrong plan" by Alan Sugar he said: "I wish I’d had a business plan like that of Team Diligence."

Team Diligence held and took part in a number of events to raise enough money to fund their main event.

These included Christmas Fairs, the Christmas Jumper Day and plaiting hair. They made £2,000 to put towards the funding of their main event, a Barn Dance. For the Barn Dance they contacted local businesses asking for raffle prize donations, and party decoration companies to decorate the school hall.

The entertainment included a live band, Jack ‘n the Box, dance caller and rodeo bull as well as other smaller stalls.

Anne Green, Enterprise coordinator, said: "The commercial world is increasingly competitive and innovation, imagination and organisation are vital to success. The Parmiter’s team have shown all these qualities in winning this competition and this is an experience they can take into the real world and to draw on in their careers as business people of the future."

Team Diligence consisted of Amber Pocklington, Georgia Carter, Hope Baker, Matthew Wise, Danielle Carey, Beth Windmill, Eliza Dickinson.