Inspirational students gave their best during this year’s Bright Sparks competition final, in an effort to win the prestigious title of Bright Sparks Champions 2010.  Held at the Dolphin Centre, Darlington early in July, the eight teams fought competitively before the team from the Education Village took the prize of £1000 for their idea ‘Grey Away’ which involved student artwork being developed to brighten office space. 

Polam Hall School won the prize of £250 for producing the best advertising campaign and Hummersknott School & Language College walked away with the prize for best business plan. 

An audience of over 300 watched the evening unfold at the Dolphin Centre, Darlington early in July with the event sponsored by Darlington Borough Council. 

The competition, co-ordinated by Penny Hudson from Durham Education Business Partnership, was open to year 10 students from secondary schools within the Darlington area and involved students using their entrepreneurial skills to develop a business idea in the form of either a product or service.  They were supported and assisted by business mentors from the Darlington area.  Students also benefit from a presentation/media skills workshop in preparation to the final supported by Diane Youdale from BBC Tees, formerly Jett from Gladiators.

The Learning Development Team at The Work Place, Newton Aycliffe have won an award in recognition of their work with Tees Valley students for their innovative and interactive activities introducing learners to a range of career opportunities available in the NHS and healthcare sector. 

The Aimhigher Tees Valley Awards took place on Monday 5 July 2010 at the Wynyard Rooms and the team won an award in the Aimhigher Activity Category for their work Year 10 and Year 12 Tees valley students in the HealthTec, an innovative healthcare learning zone.  This work has involved four year 10 healthcare carousel events and two year 12 healthcare conferences, with up to 100 students at each event.  Events were supported by a number of different health professionals and higher education institutions. 

Sarah Worsnop, Learning Development Co-ordinator said, “It is fantastic to be recognised for what we do, but we couldn’t do it without the support and commitment we receive from our volunteer health professionals.’ 

HealthTec enables students to work with healthcare professionals on activities developed to support a number of curriculum areas. 

For more information about HealthTec please contact Kirsty Coates on 01325 375983

Fund raising efforts are showing real results for the three Durham EBP staff preparing for the Women for Women Cycle China Challenge 2010 in October. 

Sandra Brennen, Jessica Gibson and Penny Hudson will join Professor Winston for the 10th women only challenge to fund groundbreaking medical research work at the Wolfston and Weston Research Centre for Family Health in London. 

They will be cycling 450km in Beijing province and need to raise a minimum of £10,000 before they set off!  So far they have been able to raise £6300 from an array of events and activities. 

Their thanks go out to all who have supported them so far.  Amongst an array of events and activites have been a quiz night and Seventies Spectacular at The Crown at Manfield, a summer fayre at The Work Place in Newton Aycliffe, a pig racing nights at Summer Houses, a cake sale and endless car boot sales!  

They are now selling raffle tickets for a fabulous draw at the end of July which offers prizes such as a free night Dinner Bed and Breakfast donated by Headlam Hall Hotel and 2 corporate hospitality tickets for a Sunderland home game given by Powerdial Systems Limited at Peterlee. 

Although more events are organised, they are still looking for support and sponsorship to reach their goal.  If you’d like to help you can contact them via email at jessica.gibson@durham.gov.uk.                  

You can also follow their progress and make donations via their web page www.justgiving.com/thedurhampedalpushers

The event, organised by the Learning Development Team at The Work Place offered a variety of hands-on carousel based workshops delivered by health professionals covering active lifestyles, breastfeeding, podiatry, occupational therapy and telehealthcare.  

Organisations that supported this event included County Durham & Darlington Primary Care Trust, Durham County Council, County Durham & Darlington Community Health Services and Durham Education Business Partnership. 

The aim of the event for the students from The Education Village, Branksome Comprehensive School, Staindrop School Business & Enterprise College, St Bede’s Catholic Comprehensive School, Peterlee and Darlington College of Technology

was to investigate changing care needs at different stages of life, and gain practical experience for their Health & Social Care course.  

Students took part in hands on activities with the health professionals, including experiencing what it feels like to be elderly and a physical activity workshop to promote healthy lifestyles. 

For more information about the activities provided at

The Work Place please contact Kirsty Coates on 01325 3759983.

Sam painting the lines on a local football pitch

A keen student from Staindrop Business and Enterprise College has used a new model of work experience to gain skills and experience in preparation for his future career.

As part of the new ‘Learning the Business’ initiative, local employers and schools work in partnership to develop new ways of working together to help prepare students for working life. 

Year 11 budding landscape student Sam Westwood is completing a 10 week placement developed in conjunction with Durham County Council’s Street Scene Team, part of Neighbourhood Services. The experience is giving Sam the necessary experience and skills for him to complete his ASDAN Employability Award and to assist with seeking employment in the future, commenting        ‘I really enjoy working here and it’s helping me get the skills I need when I get a job’. 

Sam assists with general horticultural and grounds maintenance work around the county.Graeme Walton, Grounds Maintenance Operative with the Street Scene Team also added ‘It’s a pleasure to work with Sam and I think it’s fantastic that Street Scene are part of Learning the Business supporting young people like Sam who need to gain and develop skills for working life’. 

Mark Ellis

When Durham’s Marriott Hotel, Royal County agreed to work with St Leonard’s Catholic School in a new education business programme designed to help nurture the workforce of tomorrow, little did they know that they would be wowed enough by a student recipe to include it on their menu!! 

The innovative ‘Learning the Business’ programme involves local employers pledging commitment to helping raise students’ awareness of the world of work and develop employability skills. 

Year 9 student Mark Ellis’ creation of mini muffins certainly gave James Marron, Executive Head Chef at the hotel food for thought when he went along to take part in a healthy eating activity, developed as part of the new partnership programme. Food technology student Mark cooked up quite a storm with his ‘reduced fat and high vegetable’ recipe of mini pizza muffins which will now be added to an assortment of canapés on offer at the hotel.  

Twenty five year 7& 8 students from Spennymoor School today headed to Durham County Cricket Club at Chester-le-Street to learn more about business and employability as part of a school programme supported by Esh  Group and co-ordinated by Durham Education Business Partnership. 

The students were given a presentation by Durham County Cricket Club Marketing Director, Mark Foster and Operations Manager, Richard Dowson about the off field developments at the Riverside and how Durham have become a major international sporting venue with a few helpful tips for the young people in later life. The children were then taken on a behind the scenes tour of the ground and given an experience of media activities as they recorded their own report in the Sky Sports Studio. 

The Learning the Business programme aims to improve long-term partnership working between schools and employers through the development and provision of quality activities and programmes to the benefit of both business and students. 

Brian Manning, Group Chief Executive of Esh Group and chair of the Employment and Skills Group is committed to the partnership, commented; 

‘Esh Group is totally convinced that early meaningful engagement between business, school and students is an essential part of preparing the workforce of the future.  Esh Group is therefore keen to be involved in designing such programmes and in getting our sleeves rolled up and delivering these opportunities using the full breadth and depth of the organisation’.

For more information about the work carried out by Durham Education Business Partnership please contact Cheryl Stirk on 01325 375973 or at cheryl.stirk@durham.gov.uk.

Teacher Paul Tucker oversaw proceedings as the students became Young Entrepreneurs forming companies, buying supplies and then competing against each other to sell their ducks for the most money. Business volunteers from IPS and A&C Turner Engineering Ltd supported the event, offering their knowledge and experience to the students on designing, marketing and manufacturing their products.

The aim of the activity is to learn about some of the issues involved in running a business.  It also encourages teamwork, co-operation, negotiation, decision making and problem solving. 

Co-ordinator of the event Kathryn Henderson from Durham Education Business Partnership hailed the event a success with many students pitching their budding business ideas in an attempt to win the challenge.

Over 100 Health & Social Care students from five schools across County Durham & Darlington attended a ‘Life Stages’ workshop today for an interactive experience of how professionals offer health and social care provision throughout our lifetimes.  

The event, organised by the Learning Development Team at The Work Place offered a variety of hands-on carousel based workshops delivered by health professionals covering active lifestyles, breastfeeding, podiatry, occupational therapy and telehealthcare.  

Organisations that supported this event included County Durham & Darlington Primary Care Trust, Durham County Council,

County Durham & Darlington Community Health Services and Durham Education Business Partnership. 

The aim of the event for the students from The Education Village, Branksome Comprehensive School,

Staindrop School Business & Enterprise College, St Bede’s Catholic Comprehensive School, Peterlee and

Darlington College of Technology

was to investigate changing care needs at different stages of life, and gain practical experience for their Health & Social Care course.  

Students took part in hands on activities with the health professionals, including experiencing what it feels like to be elderly and a physical activity workshop to promote healthy lifestyles.

 Feedback from both students and teachers was very positive and included the following from a practitioner from Darlington College of Technology ‘A really enjoyable experience for our students and we’ve made future links for work experience placements which is fantastic’!

For more information about the activities provided at

The Work Place please contact Kirsty Coates on 01325 3759983.

An Incident Day, planned around a drink driving car crash scenario has been held for students from schools and colleges across County Durham and Darlington. 

The day, arranged by Durham Education Business Partnership and The Work Place in liaison with Durham Constabulary, Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, Victim Support, The Crown Prosecution Service, Magistrates in the Community, County Durham 4 Real Team and HealthTec outlined the devastating consequences of drink driving and the way in which the emergency services work together in such circumstances. 

Over 130 year 10 students attended the event from seven schools and colleges across the county including Seaham School of Technology, The Education Village, Spennymoor School, Woodham Community Technology College, Bishop Auckland College, Durham Johnston School and New College Durham. 

The day focused on several aspects of a drink driving car accident including the emotional, physical and financial costs, how the emergency services work together in the event of an accident and the devastating statistics of drink driving. 

The climax of the day involved students being cut out of a wrecked car. The Accident & Emergency part of the day took place in HealthTec room of The Work Place, a unique facility in the north east offering a simulated hospital environment and real ambulance where the attending paramedic discussed the transportation of injured patients, the A&E procedure and the number of professionals that could potentially be involved with a road traffic accident. 

The event organiser, Penny Hudson, Work Related Learning Co-ordinator for Durham Education Business Partnership said ‘We wanted this to be a thought provoking day not only to convey a clear safety message to young people, but also to show an innovative and interactive way a practical example of co-operation by the various public services working together from various sectors’. 

Feedback from students and teachers included the day being a ‘hard-hitting’ experience, with others confirming how thought provoking it had been both from a professional and personal point of view. 

For more information about the activities provided by Durham Education Business Partnership and The Work Place please contact Kirsty Coates on 01325 375900.