Young minds face up to the Dragons Den
Jan 13 2010 By Alun Thorne
The team at Small Heath School are concerned with young people in their area getting involved in crime and pitched their idea to organise an event to bring the community closer together.
The Dragons awarded the team £100 to initially plan their event and would release a further £250 once they had finalised their plans and secured the necessary external organisations to progress their idea.
The team at Joseph Chamberlain College felt that society put too much pressure on people to look a certain way and therefore pitched for funds to put on a fashion show celebrating all body types.
The Dragons commended their choice of topic and agreed to fund a pilot event with £200, releasing a further £300 if they could demonstrate success.
In total the Dragons awarded an overall £1,444 to the youth-led community projects with a further £800 in the bank should the young people follow through with their inspiring ideas.
Damian Carvill, marketing manager for Packt Publishing said of the students: “It was great to see them so engaged and passionate about issues that affect not just them, but the wider community.”
The young people will now continue with their weekly Envision sessions at their schools and colleges, working to bring their projects ideas to fruition.
* Ideas from a new generation of entrepreneurs
Joseph Chamberlain College – Eating Disorders project
The FEDs feel that there is too much pressure in society to look a certain way, this results in peer pressure, bullying, poor body image and eating disorders. They want to raise awareness about these issues and help people to feel good about themselves. They plan to do this through a poster campaign, a blog and a fashion show.
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls – Water project
The Water Supporters are organising an event on the World Water Day in their local community in Stechford, where they would like to gather MPs, local councillors, local businesses and general public from the local community. The event will focus on the importance of water and on what everyone can do to save water in their daily lives.
Baverstock School Community – Environmental project
The Baverstock team is organising a clean up of the school and local area with the support of students and people from the local community. It will also be a fun day with music, food and quizzes with the overall aim being to bring the community together and to share responsibility of looking after the community environment.
Edward VI Handsworth – Memorial Garden project
The Handsworth team is planning to create a memorial garden within the school grounds in order to commemorate the young men and women who lost their lives in the past decade in the war. The garden will have a mosaic, each piece representing a soldier. They also intend to raise money for ‘Troop Aid’ packs, which would be given to soldiers.
Small Heath School – Crime and Gangs project
Small Heath United are concerned that young people in their area are getting involved with crime and have negative role models. They want to reduce crime and raise awareness about facilities available for youth. They plan to do this through a poster campaign and an event that will bring together facility providers, parents and students.
