ENTERPRISE
Rewarding enterprise
National Heart Month, we decided to highlight the
Catherine Ritman Smith Make Your Mark with a Tenner challenges students to
good work of the charity through some fundraising
Head of education at Make Your Mark activities.
The best way for young people to learn about enterprise make as much profit as they can from just a £10 initial We held a “Wear Red Day” in school, when pupils
is by experiencing it first-hand. Not only do students get and staff came into school wearing red and made
to develop their business nous and financial literacy,
investment. This year’s event once again showed that
donations. To further maximise our profits, we also held
but they also get to explore a range of other skills a raffle with prizes donated by local businesses, which
and attributes, including communication, creativity, helped to keep our costs down.
collaboration and confidence. They learn how to spot
enterprise is alive and kicking in our schools
The main challenge we faced was keeping a tight
opportunities, overcome challenges and implement financial record. We found that when it came to the
ideas. Their success underlines why entrepreneurial was such a unique experience for most of them and also end of the project, it was very difficult to identify our
At Make Your Mark, we co-ordinate a series of activity is vital in teaching students about managing culturally different, as three of them had never been to income and expenditure as we had failed to keep track
enterprise initiatives for young people of school age. and making money, and the importance of giving them London before. from the start. However, after a few hours of hard
As well as Global Entrepreneurship Week, we run the the chance to explore how to combine turning a profit It is not always easy to get business people to engage work with our teacher’s help, we finally sorted out our
Make Your Mark Challenge, and Make Your Mark with with making a difference. with students and set up meaningful partnerships, financial records. In hindsight, we also felt that had
a Tenner. however Make Your Mark gets entrepreneurs involved we put in 110 per cent from the start and especially
Funded by BBC dragon Peter Jones and Michael
Greg McDowall
who can make a real difference to young people’s through the tough times, we would have been even
and Xochi Birch (founders of Bebo) and supported Teacher at St Kentigern’s Academy, West Lothian lives. more successful.
by NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, At first I assumed that it must all be theoretical, so I was It makes a lasting impact on students when they When we found out we had won an award, and we
Technology and the Arts), Make Your Mark, with a surprised when the students were physically given a get the opportunity to interact with people outside of were going to get the chance to meet Peter Jones, we
Tenner is a competition that loans 16,000 students £10 note – I could not believe that the campaign would school, rather than just teachers. It is all too easy for were ecstatic. We felt like we had achieved so much in
£10 each and challenges them to make as much profit hand over money to young people without hesitation! them to have a one-track vision when thinking about such a little space of time, and that our hard efforts and
and, crucially, social impact as they can in one month. We explained the challenge to the students during careers, however experiences like this open their eyes determination had paid off. In total we made £518.54.
Students can go it alone with their £10, or combine their an assembly, however it didn’t really sink in until we to the opportunities out there and show them anything We were so proud!
money and work in groups. were invited onto BBC Radio Scotland. As soon as the is possible. What we were most excited about was the visit to
The current economic crisis has brought into young people realised the huge scale of the competition London, as we had a lot of questions to ask Mr Jones.
sharp focus the debate about doing “good” business; they became really excited and started coming up
Kayleigh Duffin, 15
The climax to the whole challenge was sitting in a
whether it is possible to both make money and make with some amazing ideas. Hearing about Peter Jones’s Rawlins Community College, Loughborough boardroom with the dragon and pitching our business
a difference. We believe that the next generation of involvement created a lot of buzz as well. Our initial idea was to do hand massages and manicures idea to him Dragons’ Den-style. We were pleased to
entrepreneurs and business leaders are committed to A couple of the ideas really stood out. Our first for stressed out teachers. We came up with this idea hear him say he would definitely consider investing in
social business models that will have a positive impact winning idea was for a band night called “Off the Streets”, after combining all of the group’s interests and skills. our business!
on their community and the wider world around them. aiming to get kids engaged in a positive, productive It was something we enjoy doing and feel that we are There were many highlights of setting up Bliss
The entries were extremely strong, with entrants hobby that would capture their imaginations. good at it. (our company). We were able to develop a number of
demonstrating innovative and creative capabilities, I was not heavily involved in this as they planned In addition to this, my team-mate Charlotte and I transferable skills, such as communication, organisation
developing money-making schemes from their interests it all on their own initiative. I was really surprised by created handmade jewellery and cards. The beads for and time-management, which we feel will be extremely
and passions. Across the top 100, the average profit was how carefully they had considered the social impact of the jewellery were all bought from charity shops and valuable during our lives.
£42 from £10 investment. the project. This was a really decent profit-making idea made into bracelets, while the cards were produced by Furthermore, from having a real insight to the world
The winner, Henry Pearce, made a staggering £736 and ended up making £310. Charlotte and her mother. of work to the actual running of a day-to-day business,
profit by hiring a 1920s bathing suit for a local historic One of the others groups came up with the idea of a We used the appointments for hand massages and the whole challenge, it was definitely a worthwhile
costume show and using his entrepreneurial skills to get time capsule and an accompanying website to capture manicures to our advantage – taking the opportunity to experience, and one that we will never forget. SecEd
sponsorship from people in his community. the evolving history of the school and sold profile space sell the jewellery and cards.
The best group return was £493 (on £20). Two for £1. I was a lot more involved in this idea as we had As we started the project in February, which
Further information
students from Cullompton Community College in Devon to involve contractors in the dialogue about where to coincided with the British Heart Foundation’s www.makeyourmark.org.uk
compiled a recipe book with recipes collected from local bury the capsule.
business people, then sold the books for £1 each or When we found out that both of those ideas had won
£1.50 for a signed copy. Other profitable and impressive I was in disbelief, especially because we had already
2009 school-based winners
ideas included a Bollywood dance performance and a been down in London for the final of the national
Best group profit
manicure and hand massage business. Make Your Mark Challenge and did not think it could
The National Enterprise Academy: £765 profit from £50 initial investment
Community cohesion was a major theme. A team possibly happen again.
from St Kentigern’s Academy in Scotland created a As a teacher, I was proud in the knowledge that our
concert to get young people in their area off the streets, young people had learned something important about
Best group return
while Ashley Maughan – a young Irish traveller living business and also making a social impact. Cullompton Community College, Devon: £493 from £20
on a caravan site near Hackney – used her £10 to We travelled by plane to the award ceremony and
bulk buy products to set up a shop for children in her this was a new experience for most of our students.
Social impact – best individual
community. Travelling from small Scottish towns down to London
Ashley Maughan, London Gypsy and Traveller Unit: £81.48 from £10
Social impact – best team
St Kentigern’s Academy, West Lothian: £310.86 from £20
Excellent entrepreneurial fundraiser
Daniel Palmer from Christleton High School, Chester: £121.79 from £10

Judges’ award for advanced marketing and promotional skills
Rawlins Community College, Loughborough: £518.54 from £30

Judges’ award for business skills and overcoming personal barriers
Birkdale High School, Southport: £84.78 from £10

Judges’ award for showing creative digital skills
St Kentigern’s Academy, West Lothian: £34 from £20
Making a difference: Students from St Kentigern’s Academy and Irish traveller Ashley Henley College in Oxfordshire (£200 from £50) and Laisterdyke Business and Enterprise College
Maughan in the boardroom with Peter Jones (top), while students at Swindon Academy
in Bradford (£70 from £30) were also highly commended for talent and business skills
mark the launch of Mark Your Mark with a Tenner with entrepreneur Caroline Marsh
18 SecEd • May 21 2009
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