When I was invited to become Oundle School's Sanderson Fellow I found myself helping to organise pupils' business ventures, among many other interesting tasks which took me out of the classroom for the last five years of my teaching career. Brilliant! No more reports, syllabus changes, exams etc. Instead I tried to teach common sense to a lot of very nice people, believing that the most important message education should provide is that anything is possible, and that we should all be aiming to make the world a better place.
Sounds a bit too simple really, but anyway, it was fun, and Oundle entrepreneurs never made a loss.
Retired now among the rhododendrons of Budleigh Salterton in East Devon, I find myself with loads of archive photos of those enjoyable moments provided by Oundle Young Enterprise, and later, Oundle Charity Venturers. The Oundle Entrepreneurs Facebook group at http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=36888182441 seemed a convenient place to dump them. If anyone in the photos, or anyone mentioned in the text, objects to being there, let me know and I'll take the appropriate action. If on the other hand you would like me to email a photo to you to show your grandchildren or for your personal scrapbook, get in touch. The quality of some of the photos is not 100% but most are fine.
Sounds a bit too simple really, but anyway, it was fun, and Oundle entrepreneurs never made a loss.
Retired now among the rhododendrons of Budleigh Salterton in East Devon, I find myself with loads of archive photos of those enjoyable moments provided by Oundle Young Enterprise, and later, Oundle Charity Venturers. The Oundle Entrepreneurs Facebook group at http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=36888182441 seemed a convenient place to dump them. If anyone in the photos, or anyone mentioned in the text, objects to being there, let me know and I'll take the appropriate action. If on the other hand you would like me to email a photo to you to show your grandchildren or for your personal scrapbook, get in touch. The quality of some of the photos is not 100% but most are fine.
Let me know at mr.downes@gmail.com if there are any mistakes or if you'd like to add stuff, or if you object violently to the whole thing, or whatever.
In many schools, under a Young Enterprise scheme or similar, thousands of students each year are given the opportunity of preparing for their working life in business by setting up and running their own company, supported by volunteer external advisers. They elect a board of directors from amongst their peers, raise share capital, and market and finance a product or service of their choice. At the end of the year they publish a report and accounts. The Young Enterprise scheme, running at Oundle since 1996, provided pupils with a practical understanding of marketing, financial planning, personnel management and many other skills associated with the day-to-day running of a small business. Hundreds of pupils have benefited from the experience.
Helped by company mascot Humpo the Camel, the 2000-2001 Oundle team and their company Horizon achieved success in the YE Company Competition, getting as far as the regional finals. In subsequent years Oundle companies have sold celebrity memorabilia, designer boxer shorts, CDs featuring the vocal talents of OO Peter Morton, fudge, calendars... The list goes on and on, and the projects have become more ambitious. Just look at the amazing 2007-8 Flying Camels Facebook group at http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=12403131035 for example. In 2003 it was decided that more emphasis should be placed on the philanthropic role of school enterprise companies. Accordingly, Lunar and ZigZag, the two companies of the year, operated under the umbrella title of Oundle Charity Venturers (OCV).
The following year, OCV expanded into three different companies, which each raised money for a charity of their choice. Cold Humps marketed soft black fleecy scarves emblazoned with a red camel to support the prestigious and worthwhile charity Merlin (the organisation supported by Daily Telegraph readers following the aftermath of the Tsunami disaster). OSOP (Oundle School Of Pop), teamed up with the Northamptonshire School of Flying to raise awareness and funds for disabled aviators by organizing a Valentine’s Charity Ball. Finally, the company Sweet Charity set itself the ambitious project of selling locally-made fudge presented in a specially designed tin illustrated with local landmarks, raising more than £5,000 for the Parkinson’s Disease Society.
Still organised along identical lines to Young Enterprise schemes, Oundle Charity Venturers (OCV) is a voluntary activity, and is now recognised as a branch of Community Action, taking place on a weekly basis every Thursday from 6.00 – 7.00 pm. It is mainly for L6th pupils, but other groups are not excluded. Places are limited: it is envisaged that about four companies comprising six team members will be formed. Each pupil is elected by the group to fill a post in the company, such as Managing Director, Finance Director, Secretary, Marketing Director etc. The activity helps to develop leadership and teamwork skills, and individuals may have certain qualities and skills which will fit them for a particular role, such as ICT ability, numeracy, imagination, or a gift for communication. The regular Thursday meetings are usually attended by adult advisers acting as volunteer workers for Young Enterprise. Two of them are Old Oundelians. Pupils are expected to run their businesses independently, but the advisers oversee the companies’ financial affairs, and generally help to ensure that meetings are conducted efficiently.
In many schools, under a Young Enterprise scheme or similar, thousands of students each year are given the opportunity of preparing for their working life in business by setting up and running their own company, supported by volunteer external advisers. They elect a board of directors from amongst their peers, raise share capital, and market and finance a product or service of their choice. At the end of the year they publish a report and accounts. The Young Enterprise scheme, running at Oundle since 1996, provided pupils with a practical understanding of marketing, financial planning, personnel management and many other skills associated with the day-to-day running of a small business. Hundreds of pupils have benefited from the experience.
Helped by company mascot Humpo the Camel, the 2000-2001 Oundle team and their company Horizon achieved success in the YE Company Competition, getting as far as the regional finals. In subsequent years Oundle companies have sold celebrity memorabilia, designer boxer shorts, CDs featuring the vocal talents of OO Peter Morton, fudge, calendars... The list goes on and on, and the projects have become more ambitious. Just look at the amazing 2007-8 Flying Camels Facebook group at http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=12403131035 for example. In 2003 it was decided that more emphasis should be placed on the philanthropic role of school enterprise companies. Accordingly, Lunar and ZigZag, the two companies of the year, operated under the umbrella title of Oundle Charity Venturers (OCV).
The following year, OCV expanded into three different companies, which each raised money for a charity of their choice. Cold Humps marketed soft black fleecy scarves emblazoned with a red camel to support the prestigious and worthwhile charity Merlin (the organisation supported by Daily Telegraph readers following the aftermath of the Tsunami disaster). OSOP (Oundle School Of Pop), teamed up with the Northamptonshire School of Flying to raise awareness and funds for disabled aviators by organizing a Valentine’s Charity Ball. Finally, the company Sweet Charity set itself the ambitious project of selling locally-made fudge presented in a specially designed tin illustrated with local landmarks, raising more than £5,000 for the Parkinson’s Disease Society.
Still organised along identical lines to Young Enterprise schemes, Oundle Charity Venturers (OCV) is a voluntary activity, and is now recognised as a branch of Community Action, taking place on a weekly basis every Thursday from 6.00 – 7.00 pm. It is mainly for L6th pupils, but other groups are not excluded. Places are limited: it is envisaged that about four companies comprising six team members will be formed. Each pupil is elected by the group to fill a post in the company, such as Managing Director, Finance Director, Secretary, Marketing Director etc. The activity helps to develop leadership and teamwork skills, and individuals may have certain qualities and skills which will fit them for a particular role, such as ICT ability, numeracy, imagination, or a gift for communication. The regular Thursday meetings are usually attended by adult advisers acting as volunteer workers for Young Enterprise. Two of them are Old Oundelians. Pupils are expected to run their businesses independently, but the advisers oversee the companies’ financial affairs, and generally help to ensure that meetings are conducted efficiently.
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