Aycliffe Today Monthly | 9
@AycliffeToday
ABOVE: Enterprise City directors Damian Stevenson and Darren & Dale Anderson with St Mary’s
children at the purpose-built “city” on Aycliffe Business Park
LEFT: St Mary’s teachers Debra Hargreaves (left) and Gail Mason (right) with children (left to right)
Dominic Priestly, Leon Bradshaw, Sophie Bellwood, Natalie Ward and Millie Smith, together with
(sitting down) livin executive director Wayne Harris (left) and Bullock Construction regional director
Duncan Williams.
Gail Mason, a year six teacher
at St Mary’s, said: “We spent two
weeks looking at what a city is and
how it works and we looked at how
businesses run.
“There's a lot of writing involved, a lot
of maths and DT. It's related to worklife experiences and is very relevant.
“It has given the children an
understanding of why education is
important and how it's used later in
life, and it will hopefully improve their
performance in school ultimately.”
St Mary’s took part in the day thanks
to sponsorship from social housing
provider livin and national firm Bullock
Construction, which has a regional
office on Aycliffe Business Park.
Bullock regional director Duncan
Williams said: “We feel extremely
privileged, alongside our client partner,
Livin, to be able to support a project
that will allow children from a very
young age to sample real life future
career paths.
“We cannot underestimate the
long-term legacy that will be created
through this project and I sure
Newton Aycliffe and the surrounding
communities will be full of budding
professionals in 10-15 years time as a
result of this scheme.”
Wayne Harris, executive director
property and development for livin,
added: “We are delighted to support
The Enterprise City programme
which plays a key role in helping
young people understand the world of
work and how they might play a role
in society and making a local town
operate.
“As a business we are committed to
helping people improve skills and raise
their aspirations.
“Working in partnership and
supporting people to deliver these
innovative programmes is key to
helping us improve the lives of people
living in our communities.”
Enterprise City is designed to meet
PSHE and incorporates citizenship,
numeracy, literacy and art and design
curriculum in an adaptable and
kinaesthetic way, and is now being
rolled out to schools across Newton
Aycliffe and the North-East.
One of the directors, Darren
Anderson, said: “The preparation and
getting the idea to County Durham
has been years in the making, but now
we're here, the city has a permanent
home and all we can do now is
improve it and we're really excited
about that.”
Damian Stevenson, another of
the three-man team leading the
new project, reckons the innovative
programme has “unlimited potential”.
He said: “The programme is
designed to give them a platform from
which to build on. They come on and
express themselves, do their own
things.
“They think, they learn and they
develop with the programme during
the course of the day, and I think it has
unlimited potential. We've fought hard
to get it to Aycliffe and into our local
schools.”
For any schools or businesses
who’d like to get involved with
Enterprise
City,
call
Damian
Stevenson on 07720 415505 or email
[email protected]