Partner Article

Creative Business Start-Up Initiatives that tackle Global Issues from School Pupils

The country may be deep in recession but young entrepreneurs from around the UK are being invited to step up to the challenge and show what they have to offer for the future regeneration of the country.

And it couldn’t be more needed: at a time when our own Prime Minister declared - during his very first major speech as PM - his desire for the UK to experience its “most dynamic and entrepreneurial decade in [its] history”…how else can this be achieved, and how else can we secure a vibrant future economy without “depend[ing] on a new generation of entrepreneurs?“

“But to make it happen we need a culture change in Britain – an injection of self-belief and dynamism to convince those who are dreaming about making it big to get out there and do it.“ The Nationally Acclaimed LionHeart Challenge does just that!

LionHeart is a national enterprise programme and competition for schools. Its aim is to expose young people to the world of business, often for the first time in their own lives, while raising their self awareness and self confidence needed to equip them to become the future entrepreneurs of this country.

Throughout the 2010/11 academic year, schools from right across the 9 regions of England had been synthesising business plans worthy of a place at Regional Finals level, and from there nationally.

And on the 4th of November 2011 The LionHeart Challenge 2011 National Finals on Friday took place in Lancaster Town hall and the glorious Shire Hall of Lancaster Castle, where the proactive, aspiring and talented champion teams of the 9 regions of England will come together to compete for the ultimate prize in this demand-driven and real-time entrepreneurial challenge: to become LionHeart National Champions 2011. Competitors included the defending champions Salendine Nook High School from Kirklees, Bacup and Rawtenstall School (Lancashire),Whitehaven School (Cumbria) and The King’s Academy (Middlesbrough).

Their national challenge? To create a sustainable business solutions to aid in the drive forward for tackling the global issue of improving the quality of life for people in developing countries. It’s a topic of importance- Nationally and Globally: a topic facing the most Prominent figures of Businesses and Government today, and here Year 9 and 10 students followed the same agenda…with their fantastic outputs in just one day!

The innovation in the ideas, and sound business proposals put forward on the day created tough competition and although the Champion Team for 2011 was announced as Whitehaven School, all the finalists were congratulated.

Mr. Harold Baird, Global President of The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, and Chair of the Eminent LionHeart National Judges commended the Pupils. He states:“Congratulations to all the Year 10 students taking part in The LionHeart Challenge Programme - you are the future business leaders and entrepreneurs of tomorrow. CIMA is very proud to continue as National sponsor of the programme which gives an excellent grounding in the key skills required to succeed in the world of business.”

And to that end, the National Final on the 4th of November, showcased a new generation of entrepreneurs coming up with ideas while gaining at the same time the business know-how that must be instilled in our Young People now if we are to truly dig ourselves out of austerity and make this “the most dynamic and entrepreneurial decade in our history “.

Presiding over The LionHeart National Finals shall be The High Sheriff of Lancashire Mr. Peter Mileham DL and Mr. Harold Baird, President of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by CIMA UK Regional News .