Member Article

THE BIG PIE Friday Challenge – Gainford Group Donate Dough to the BIG PIE Challenge

After the successful launch of the BIG PIE Friday Challenge by Sir John Hall last month another local business has committed to supporting our Primary Schools. Multi award winning owners of the Vermont and County Hotels in Newcastle and numerous other care homes, leisure venues and nurseries across the North of England have donated a five figure sum to support 7 local primary schools. The donation will enable over 200 9-11year old pupils achieve a vocational qualification better equipping them to the world of work.

Following on from the enormous success of last years’ largest ever Enterprise, Engineering and Coding Education Challenge that involved over 1,000 pupils, 21 schools and 50 businesses this year is planned to be bigger and better. The BIG PIE Friday Challenge taking place on the morning of Friday 31st March will see primary schools from across Tyne & Wear, Durham and Darlington compete against one another.

Targeting 9, 10 and 11 year olds this unique, exciting and ambitious Challenge will engage inspire and educate future generations in enterprise and Science, Technology, Engineering, Enterprise and Maths (STEEM) based activities.

Donations made by local organisations including Gainford Group enable the BIG PIE Friday Challenge to be delivered for free to schools within three stages. The first being two timed activities, one engineering and another Coding based, on the morning of the 31st March to schools across the North East that have signed up. Five schools from each area that are the quickest at completing the tasks will go through to the second stage where they will each undertake a full day of enterprise. The students will plan, create and sell something with support from local businesses, complete a formal qualification and then be judged purely on the profit they make. The Challenge will ultimately culminate in an awards ceremony within Newcastle in June 2017.

Each of the Schools will be allocated a PIE’Oneer – someone from industry - to help them through the challenge and independently validate the competition. The 7 schools supported by Gainford Group will have members of staff from the Gainford Groups 2,000 plus workforce directly connecting the school up to a local business providing the pupils with a clear line of site to career opportunities.

Imran Khaliq, from the Gainford Group explains, “We heard of the BIG PIE Challenge last year, but missed the opportunity to get involved. So when we were approached this year to support the Charity we didn’t think twice. As a local employer we recognise the importance of contributing to the local community and what better way than giving young people a much needed step up. The great thing about the PIE Project is that it brings pupils, teachers and businesses together providing a common purpose around enterprise promotion. The young people start developing the skills business need early on together with a vocational qualification that industry recognises. “

“I was shocked when I first heard that 10 and 11 year olds were gaining qualifications so early on. However as an entrepreneur it makes perfect sense to me. We need to encourage young people to become more ambitious together with providing them with role models they can relate to as early as possible.”

“Last week I was fortunate to visit Tyneview Primary School and hear first-hand the impact the PIE Project has had on the pupils and their parents. These young people are developing a CV, being interviewed to run the PIE Shop and learning all about problem solving, making them more resilient together with experiencing the challenges and opportunities that businesses do. This is just what the North East needs to tackle some of the challenges around youth unemployment, low levels of esteem and a skills shortage.”

“We are delighted to be supporting this charity not only through making a financial donation but encouraging our staff to work with their local primary school. When we shared the news of the BIG PIE Challenge our staff got really excited and cannot wait to share experiences and help realise and raise ambitions.”

The key aim of the challenge is connect business with education, positively affect careers, information, advice and guidance and promote good practices like the Gatsby Benchmarks. Within the North East there have been improvements in unemployment rates, however it still suffers from being at the lower end of a number of league tables with our younger generation leaving school with limited ambition or aspiration. Business continues to complain about skill shortages and the younger generations not having the right attitude and aptitude for work.

Steve Gittins Head Teacher of Tyneview Primary School said “It is wonderful to have a local employer like Gainford Group support the BIG PIE Challenge, especially as the various landmark venues they operate are known to our pupils.”

“As the first school to adopt the PIE Project in 2013 we worked over the past few years with the founders and have seen a significant positive impact on our school. The pupils have developed a range of skills that they wouldn’t necessarily obtain from the standard curriculum. These include better communication skills, team working, self-management, but more importantly have a better understanding of the world of work and their ambitions. The pupils operate a local shop with the involvement of parents and support from business mentors which is hugely beneficial to the school.”

“We have had visits and support from a range of local businesses together with Sir John Hall who presented the pupils with their certificates when they achieved their vocational qualification. This was the first time within the UK that a primary school had delivered the NCFE Investigating Enterprise Qualification which then led on to us receiving a Royal visit from HRH Princess Eugenie.”

“I would encourage all Primary Schools to take part in the BIG PIE Challenge on the 31st March especially when there are so many local businesses supporting the activities including the Armed Forces, County Durham Community Foundation and the North East LEP”.

The BIG PIE Friday Challenge is a fun and inclusive way for businesses to support their schools and schools to engage with business. The key focus is on linking local organisations and individuals so that school children have a clear line of site of job opportunities and positive inspirational role models. The NCFE Qualification provides the pupils with an industry recognised qualification and the foundations to become better equipped to enter the world of work.

Sir John Hall who is championing the Challenge says “Every single person and business has a responsibility to contribute to the success of our future generations I would encourage everyone to get behind this inclusive campaign that can help make our region industrious again, promoting British values to power our country forward through clear ambition and aspiration.”

For further details/to register your interest email Big@Pieproject.org or call Neha Nair on 0191 2424892. Twitter @PIEPROJECTUK #ILOVEPIE

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ammar Mirza .