Students call on professionals as they take on holiday challenge

Date: 26th August 2011

Rather than put their feet up for the summer holidays a group of Bury students  have put themselves to the test by taking on a series of testing challenges.

Teenagers who have just left high school and are preparing to go on to college signed up to take part in The Challenge, a three week programme run by charity The Challenge Network. Each week presented a new personal or team challenge, ranging from physically demanding outdoor activities in Scotland to creating a fundraising idea for presentation to a ‘Dragons Den’ of local business figures.

A key part of the programme is a visit to a local business as Challenge Team Leader Dave Palmer explained: “We look for businesses who believe in supporting their local community and are willing to provide the opportunity for local young people to see inside a workplace and get some feedback on a presentation for a community action project they have worked on.”

One team visited data and telecommunications experts Pennine Telecom to get advice on their pitches to promote Burrs Country Park and for a marathon triathlon they are organising in aid of local community organisation, ADAB. They were given a professional evaluation of their presentations by marketing manager Belinda McGee before they entered the den to sell their idea to four dragons, including Pennine’s Product & Sales Director, Geoff King.

Taking time out from presenting former Prestwich Art College student Olivia Dooley, 16, explained why she had given up her school holidays to take part in The Challenge: “It’s a long time between leaving school and going to college and I wanted to take on a challenge. It’s been really good. In the first week we went up to Scotland to do an outward bound course and now we’re planning a campaign for a fundraising event and practising our pitch.”

Olivia was working within a team which also included former students from Broad Oak Sports College, Bury Grammar, Parrenthorn and Tottington high schools, none of whom she’d met before. This involved them working together to prepare costings and publicity materials as well as organising the event itself. “We want to do a marathon triathlon at the Burrs in September and raise £150 for ADAB,” she said. 

Geoff King praised the students for their commitment and willingness to give up their valuable holiday time. “Young people often suffer a bad press, much of it unfair and caused by the actions of a small minority. But this group are a real credit and a great advert for the youth of today. They’ve shown real commitment and endeavour and a readiness to use their holidays to develop their skills and help others in the community.

“The opportunity to rehearse their pitch also seems to have paid off as the team successfully secured £100 of “investment” when they faced myself and fellow dragons at Bury College.”