Member Article

Trout hotel helps create next generation entrepreneurs

School students in Cockermouth have received a business boost after The Trout Hotel joined forces with Cockermouth & District Chamber of Trade to help an initiative which promotes entrepreneurship in schools.

The Trout donated £200 to the Young Enterprise programme at Cockermouth School. Other members of the Chamber of Trade have donated another £300, giving a total of £500 to help ensure the survival of the project.

The Young Enterprise programme is a nationwide initiative aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and business skills amongst school students, aged 15-19, by giving them the task of setting up and maintaining a business for a full academic year.

The best businesses in each region then go forward to the national final to find the UK’s Young Enterprise champions.

The setup business, complete with an elected board of directors, provides a challenging but educational experience for the pupils as they run the business like they would in reality, raising share capital and taking their product or service to market.

Fourteen Cockermouth School students are taking part in this year’s course. They are developing a Classic Cumbrian Cookbook, which they hope to have on sale around Cockermouth, before Christmas. The students have overseen every step of the book’s creation, from coming up with the original concept, to it being accepted by a publisher.

The cookbook contains a mix of recipes, some of which have been created by the students as well as those that have been passed down through generations of Cumbrian families. The recipes in the cookbook are made with 100% locally sourced, Cumbrian produce.

The Young Enterprise West Cumbrian winner will be announced March, with the victorious school going on to represent the area at national level.

Steve Dawson, Young Enterprise Link Teacher and Head of Economics and Business Studies at Cockermouth School, said: “The generosity shown by the Cockermouth Chamber of Trade is very much appreciated by everyone involved in the Young Enterprise programme.

“Young Enterprise is a very valuable initiative, not only does it help the students develop their business skills and build entrepreneurship, it assists us in building links with the wider community and local businesses.”

Sue Eccles, Manager Director of the Trout Hotel, itself a member of the Chamber of Trade, said: “The Trout Hotel prides itself on engaging with the local community and when we heard that the Young Enterprise project was in need of funding, we were keen to help.

“The Young Enterprise scheme does fantastic work in promoting entrepreneurship among the students at Cockermouth School, and will no doubt help to provide the next crop of Cumbrian business people, something which is invaluable in the current economic climate.”

The Young Enterprise project equips pupils with skills that will aid them in post-education success. Statistics suggest that with pupils who have taken part in Young Enterprise are twice as likely to start their own business, and more likely to partake in voluntary work than their counterparts who have not taken part.

Cockermouth Chamber of Trade is made up of independent local businesses. Those contributing to the programme are: Oaktree Accountancy, Strolling 4 Shoes, Bitter Beck Pottery, Firns Home Hardware, The Spice Club, Winder Hall Country House Hotel, The Toy Shop, Jacy’s Lingerie, Smith+Bell, Bell Park Kerridge, JB Banks and Wordsworth House & Garden.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Recognition PR Business Team .