08.03.07
Liskeard School plan business success with online newspaper

Twelve pupils from Liskeard School and Community College will be entering the 'Dragons Den' and competing to win Business Adventure 2007 when they present their online newspaper to judges at the Eden Project later this month.

The 12 to 13-year-old entrepreneurs came up with the idea to run an online newspaper within the school as part of a business and social enterprise competition called 'Business Adventure'.

Business Adventure is run by Business Link Devon and Cornwall in conjunction with Connexions Cornwall and Devon, Crag Rats, Devon Educational Business Partnership and the Learning Skills council.

The Liskeard team are currently awaiting the results of a competition they set the rest of the school, to design a logo for the newspaper. The winning design will be used as part of the identity for the online newspaper which in time the pupils also intend to link to a school radio station. They are aiming to fund the project through the sales of advertising space to pupils who wish to promote events and announce birthday messages.

The group will be presenting their business proposition and progress to a panel of judges in a high profile 'Dragons Den' style event which takes place on Monday 19th March. They will face some stiff competition at the final, coming head to head against thirteen other schools from across Devon and Cornwall.

Liskeard School and Community College teacher, Gary Smith said: "The Business Adventure competition has been a great motivation for the group to really move forward with their ideas. The students have taken responsibility for six different departments of the paper – as they have created different sections for community, school council, achievements, shout outs, sports and academic information. They are an ambitious group, with some great ideas and with the help of an IT expert from Business Link they've managed to get the newspaper up and running in an electronic format."

Jenny Rudge, chief executive of Connexions Cornwall and Devon added: "Business Adventure is an excellent introduction for young people into the ideas behind commercial enterprise. We want to enable all young people to consider the full range of opportunities and career paths open to them, and hopefully this insight to the business world will inspire a new generation of South West entrepreneurs. The students have also been asked to focus their efforts on making sure the projects add value and benefit to the school and local community, therefore achieving one of the criteria in the Governments 'Every Child Matters' policy."

Liskeard will be up against another local school at the finals, as Torpoint Community College will present their pitch to create a giant 'wishing' sculpture. The sculpture will be made from blank CDs that will be bought by other Torpoint pupils, family members and local business people. Anyone buying a CD will write a wish on it and have it attached to the sculpture. The money that the pupils make will be used to promote a peer mentoring scheme that has been running within the school for a few years. The pupils plan to raise awareness of the scheme that sees older pupils giving mentor support for their younger peers.

The Business Adventure website; www.business-adventure.co.uk will be featuring highlights from the young people's presentations on the day.

For further information contact Adam McPherson of the Marketing PR Company on 01566 771861 or email amcpherson@marketing-pr.co.uk.

The Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has invested in Business Link Devon and Cornwall through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF).

Editor's notes:

Business Link provides a free information and enquiry service via an information gateway on the web www.bldc.co.uk and via the telephone on 0845 600 9966 to all businesses and those considering starting a business. Additionally it provides impartial business advice and support through a network of partner organisations, which it co-ordinates, and a register of independent business practitioners. Business Link for Devon and Cornwall delivers the national Business Link service to the region under contract from the South West RDA.

Business Link has received Objective One investment (European Regional Development Fund and EAGGF) to help companies improve performance and grow.

Clare Morgan
Media Relations Manager
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Mobile: 07973 813647
Telephone: 01872 223439

cmorgan@cornwall.gov.uk

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