Two Westbourne College Sydney teams have taken out first and second place in the New South Wales division of the Ripyl Fundraiser Innovation Challenge: Fundraiser Faceoff 2025, a NZ- and NSW-wide competition supported by Macquarie University Business School and Massey Business School.
In the NSW round, Westbourne teams were awarded first and second place:
🥇 Chomp – Westbourne College Sydney
🥈 Calculating Quolls – Westbourne College Sydney
Ripyl and the external judges from Macquarie Business School described the finalist pitches as “engaging and intellectually stimulating”, and singled out both Westbourne teams for their creativity, rigour and real-world impact.
What is the Ripyl Fundraiser Innovation Challenge?
The Ripyl Fundraiser Innovation Challenge asks student teams to design their next big school fundraiser, then pitch it like a start-up.
Each team works through four steps:
- Choose an event type
- Understand stakeholders – who runs it, who comes, who benefits
- Build a business case – pricing, costs, profit and funds raised
- Create advertising and record a short pitch video
It’s a great example of STEM and Business learning in action – taking ideas out of the classroom and into something that could actually work in the real world.
First place: Team Chomp – “Resale Rave”
A circular fashion fundraiser tackling waste and affordability
Team Chomp started with a stark idea: every few minutes, huge amounts of textiles are thrown away – including expensive uniforms and formal wear that are barely worn before they’re outgrown.
Their solution, “Resale Rave”, is a recurring second-hand clothing event that:
- turns unused clothes into affordable treasures
- supports families with cheaper uniforms
- and raises funds for both Westbourne and the Red Cross.
Hosted in the school hall and open to both the school and wider community, Resale Rave sorts donations into everyday clothing and schoolwear, then sells them at significantly reduced prices.
The team grounded their idea in a real understanding of Westbourne:
“Our school has a high wealth disparity… many students would benefit from donating items, and others would really benefit from purchasing good quality second-hand clothes at discounted prices. We also have a strong culture of support, which makes people much more likely to participate.”
On the business side, Chomp presented a clear financial model showing:
- how the event would cover its setup costs
- how pricing would stay accessible while still generating profit
- and how the model could be run multiple times a year with low ongoing expenses.
The judging panel at Macquarie Business School loved the balance of heart and rigour. Ripyl’s summary said:
“The team at Ripyl would like to congratulate members of Chomp for winning the NSW Innovation Challenge 2025. Feedback from the judging panel highlighted the team’s innovation and creativity in developing a second-hand clothing event tackling textile waste and the affordability of uniforms. Chomp’s careful stakeholder analysis, break-even modelling, and ongoing donations to a relevant external cause made this a standout. Well done.”
Second place: Team Calculating Quolls
A viral social trend turned into a public fundraiser
Team Calculating Quolls took a different angle, tapping into something that feels very Gen Z: the need for fun, shared experiences in a world that can feel pretty heavy.
Their idea is to bring a quirky European trend, “Pudding mit Gabel” (pudding with a fork), to Sydney for the first time.
They ask you to imagine:
“You’re sitting in a park with hundreds of people holding your fork and a cup of pudding. Everyone’s laughing, filming TikToks, and somehow that slightly absurd idea has brought an entire community together.”
Their concept:
- a series of public pudding picnics in major Sydney parks
- a low entry fee that includes pudding, a fork and the chance to be part of Australia’s first Pudding mit Gabel gatherings
- a fundraiser that goes beyond the school gates to reach the broader community.
The trend itself began in Germany, where meet-ups in parks went viral on TikTok and spread to cities like New York and Seattle. The team saw a chance for Westbourne to be first in Sydney:
“It’s funny, it’s modern, it’s trendy, and it fits perfectly with our school’s value of innovation and staying connected with the world. By being the very first group in Sydney to run this event, our school gains attention, community involvement and fundraising with a fresh, social and completely unique idea.”
Behind the fun, Calculating Quolls also put together a thoughtful business case:
- realistic assumptions about attendance and demand
- wholesale sourcing to keep costs down
- park permits, food safety and logistics considered up-front
- and a clear pathway to strong profits if the event gains traction.
Ripyl’s judges commented:
“The team at Ripyl would like to congratulate members of Calculating Quolls for placing second in the NSW Innovation Challenge: Fundraiser Faceoff 2025.
The ‘Pudding mit Gabel’ event was clever, bringing a viral European social phenomenon to Sydney’s public parks, backed by thoughtful costing and logistics planning. Well done.”
Innovation, business thinking and values in action at Westbourne
Jonathan Marfleet brought this challenge to the Westbourne Year 10 Business studies class and encouraged the students to use what they have learned in the classroom to a practical application.
“We talk a lot about pricing, stakeholders and value propositions in the classroom, but Ripyl gave students a chance to build a complete business case and then defend it in front of external judges,” he said.
“They had to move beyond a ‘fun idea’ and really think through: Who is this for? How does it work financially? What could go wrong? That kind of applied learning is incredibly powerful at this age.”
He added that seeing university experts engage seriously with their work was a turning point for many students.
“Having judges from Macquarie Business School describe their pitches as engaging and intellectually stimulating showed the students that their ideas can stand up in front of professionals. It made the experience feel real, not just a school exercise.”
Taken together, Chomp and Calculating Quolls show exactly what we want Westbourne students to experience:
- Innovation – new models, fresh ideas, global trends
- Business and STEM thinking – real stakeholders, real numbers, real constraints
- Values in action – sustainability, inclusion, community and wellbeing.
Both teams impressed judges from Macquarie Business School and the Ripyl team – and both make us incredibly proud.Congratulations to all six students and Jonathan Marfleet, who encouraged the students to participate.
They are exactly the kind of problem-solvers and change-makers we aim to develop at Westbourne College Sydney.
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