Enterprise rocks Blackburn with Darwen Schools - January 2007

Hailed as a world first, the Enterprise Rocks Challenge event for Blackburn with Darwen High School students is proving to be an outstanding success.

The exciting Enterprising Music Championship, held on Tuesday 23^rd January at Witton City Learning Centre, saw 18 musical acts from 6 Blackburn with Darwen High Schools being professionally recorded for a compilation CD. 

Also on Tuesday, 48 students from high schools across the Borough took part in a demanding Enterprise Challenge to develop the best Marketing Plan and design the best CD artwork to sell as many CDs as possible through schools and a local music shop to raise funds for charities. The winning teams were:

Best art work: Darwen Vale; Best marketing plan: St Wilfrid’s; Best presentation: Our Lady and St John.

The Enterprise Rocks Challenge is the brainchild of an East Lancashire organisation, E4A, a leading provider of enterprise challenge days in the UK.  E4A Director, Mike Ellacott is delighted by the success of this ground-breaking approach to enterprise education. He says, “We believe that this combination of a music championship plus enterprise education that is helping raise funds for charities and the schools is a world first. We have had a great response from local high schools and the students have thoroughly enjoyed being involved in such an exciting project. We are looking forward to the final night on 30^th March when the overall best musical act for Blackburn with Darwen will be chosen from the 18 acts featured on the CD.”

Andrew Collingwood, Chairman of the Enterprise Pathfinder Committee and a teacher at St Wilfrid’s C of E High School and Technology College in Blackburn has been instrumental in setting up the Enterprise Rocks Challenge across all Blackburn with Darwen High Schools. Excited by this fresh approach to enterprise education, he says, “This is a great opportunity for our students to demonstrate their musical talent and use it for the benefit of others. Our students have also benefited from first hand experience of the real world challenges associated with creating an effective marketing plan and CD artwork to promote sales of the CD. St Wilfrid’s looks forward to hosting the final competition to decide the best overall act on 30^th March.”

E4A is a leading provider of Enterprise Challenge days in the UK. The organisation streams Business Challenges into schools through the Internet and supports the students’ teamwork with their own trained Business Mentors on the Challenge Day.

With varied backgrounds in senior positions in industry including ICI, HP and British Gas, and extensive experience as a self employed business advisor, E4A personnel have also worked as Enterprise Advisors in schools. This developed their understanding of what is required to help students grasp the principles behind enterprise and to develop skills relevant to future employment. E4A Director, Peter Dickinson says, “As in business, the students work in teams, learn about working together to achieve an objective against tight time constraints and at the same time are encouraged to enjoy the experience and have fun.”

More details on this unique approach to Enterprise learning events for students are at www.e4a.org.uk

E4A Ltd, PO Box 135, Waddington, Clitheroe. BB7 0AJ
Registered No: 5536957. Registered Office as above.
Tel: 0845 054 2552, Fax: 0845 051 9378
Email: enquiries@e4a.org.uk