Millfield Student Raises Money For Paws Animal Shelter

Published by Millfield on Tuesday 6th of December 2022

An entrepreneurial animal-loving student set up his own dog biscuit company to raise money for the PAWS animal shelter.

Upper Sixth student Finn Bennett, from Maine in the USA, set up the company after being inspired by his A level Business Studies and Politics classes at Millfield. The venture raised a fantastic $2000 for PAWS, who provides care to homeless cats and dogs.

Finn, who joined Millfield in Year 9, said: “I wanted to use the knowledge that I had learnt out of the classroom and apply it in the real world. I decided to use the summer holidays to learn how to build a business from conception to delivery.”

After creating his dog friendly treats, aptly named Bone Appetite, Finn contacted local businesses and asked if he could display his treats and give them away for free, asking only that customers give a small donation to PAWS in exchange for a bag.

Finn has previously volunteered at PAWS, saying “I wanted this business to have a meaningful purpose and settled very quickly on raising funds for a charity that was close to my heart. I had previously worked with PAWS for my Duke of Edinburgh Award, and I knew PAWS was heavily impacted by COVID and needed support to fund new projects. Having worked there, I knew there was an opportunity to build a product that would be appealing to both the buyer and the consumer.”

“My Business Studies classes have been inspirational, and I have learned so much from all my teachers, specifically Mr Owlett, Mrs Shergold, and Mrs Cox. I was able to apply a lot of what I’ve learnt to Bone Appetite, like how to create a business plan, product placement, choosing my target demographics, and marketing and advertising.”

After Millfield, Finn plans to return to the US to attend university and study business.