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.