Member Article

Matlock business students’ takeover YHA

Eighteen students from Matlock’s Highfields School took over YHA’s head office on Dimple Road recently.

The year 10 Business Studies students were at the charity’s head office as part of National Takeover Day, which gives children and young people the chance to work within the management team at YHA for a day and be involved in decision-making.

The 15 and 16-year-olds were put into teams and assigned ‘The Apprentice’ style tasks competing to develop ideas for YHA’s recent marketing campaign, which promotes its fantastic running, walking, cycling and climbing locations all over England and Wales. The teams were tasked to create a YouTube advert with the E-commerce team and also got to try their hand making chocolate gifts with YHA’s Fundraising Manager for the Victorian Market in Matlock.

The biggest challenge of the day came when the students were tasked with making their own pizza from scratch to eat for lunch, which including making their own dough.

Jim Grady Head of Economics at Highfields School said: “It was great to see the students involved in a variety of activities. They were up to the challenge and as usual they were enthusiastic and energetic throughout the entire day.”

One of the students, Katy Cooper (15), added: “I found the day really fun and very different compared to what we usually do at school. We were put into teams without our friends, which meant we had to work with people we wouldn’t usually mix with, which was great. I don’t do much cooking at home but I found making pizzas really fun and it has inspired me to try and cook more.”

This is the fifth year that students from Highfields School have taken over YHA’s head office for National Takeover Day, benefitting both the students and Youth Hostelling charity. Currently 37 former Highfields School students are working at YHA’s National office.

Organiser of the day, Kate Lansley, YHA’s Youth Engagement Coordinator, said: “Working with young people is always at the heart of what YHA does, so it is fantastic to welcome school students into our office. Working with Highfields School is always great fun, the students always get stuck into the tasks and hopefully they can take these skills and use them practically in the future. We are always impressed with what they manage to achieve on the day.”

For more information about careers or volunteer opportunities at YHA (England and Wales) visit https://jobs.yha.org.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Danielle Munn .