10 | Aycliffe Today Business
CITY SLICKERS
An innovative new education programme has finally landed in the UK , laying roots on Aycliffe Business Park . MARTIN WALKER investigates ...
It provokes images of the 1976 movie Bugsy Malone , but you won ’ t find any custard-firing splurge guns in this real city for kids .
For those who remember the cult 70s flick , starring Scott Baio and a 13-year-old Jodie Foster , you ’ ll recall young actors portraying 1929 life in Down Town New York , with the likes of “ Blousey Brown ”, “ Tallulah ” and “ Fat Sam Staccetto ” starring in a memorable movie .
That , of course , was fictional . But a revolutionary educational programme - devised , ironically , in the States - has found its way to the UK , and is laying roots right here on Aycliffe Business Park .
Enterprise City sees children take control of their own city , make rules and discover the consequences of individual and group decisions .
The city is run by a Mayor , while the bank issues loans and the city “ trades ” as children try to make a profit at the end of the day .
The concept , which mixes all spectrums of the national curriculum with real life situations , has been brought across the Atlantic by Newton Aycliffe-based Enterprise England , which held successful pilot events last year .
Now the three-man team , all proud Newtonians , has set up a permanent venue on the premises of manufacturing company Ebac , who have converted an unused canteen into a perfect venue - further proof that Aycliffe Business Park really is engaging with education .
Enterprise City is the brainchild of Aycliffe entrepreneur Darren Anderson , who was originally shown the concept by Enterprise America director Philip Ross . Darren and his brother , fellow director Dale Anderson , then worked tirelessly for the best part of five years to secure exclusive rights to bring the model to the UK .
There are “ too many people to thank ” who ’ ve got the project across the line , but more recently the roles played by Pamela Petty ( Ebac ) and Dave Spensley from Aycliffe Fabrications - arguably the two biggest champions of engaging education on the park - as well as Bullock MD Duncan Williams , Mears and Cornforth Supplies , have been crucial .
“ It ’ s been a long time coming ,” says Darren , with a distinct sigh of relief .
“ The preparation and getting the idea to County Durham has been years in the making working closely with Phil Hodgson , Senior Lead Support and Development , Durham ’ s Education Development Service , and fitting out the city at Ebac took nearly three months .
“ 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 .
“ It ’ s a facility for schools to now tap into , but it ’ s also tied into businesses on Aycliffe Business Park .
“ Companies want to have a relationship with the schools , so hopefully this is the perfect medium for that to happen .
“ There are also opportunities for local firms to get involved by sponsoring some of the shops and outlets we have in the city , which will enable us to further improve the facility on the whole while involving more businesses .
“ They can sponsor schools to come through the city to give more local youngsters the chance to experience this .
“ We ’ ve had a few people helping us up to now , but now we ’ re looking for more businesses to step in and support the growth .”
Year 6 and 7 children from St Mary ’ s School in Aycliffe recently completed their first day at the new Enterprise City .
Dale further explains : “ They come in and they ’ ve all got jobs and run their own businesses , and to see the enthusiasm on the children ’ s faces is amazing . The engagement is fantastic and to see them immersed in their own city is brilliant .