Breakfast is the business of the day...

BUSINESS breakfast for front (from left) Kirsty Butler, chairman Sam Hall, Daniel Evans, Marc Pogorzelec, (back, from left) Bev Yarwood (NHS Manchester), Hannah Jaunbocus, Christine Mahney (The Enterprise Factory), Kim Ayres, Megan Ainscough and Sophie Baxendale.

PUPILS are defying the credit crunch with a £5,000 initiative to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce funded North Chadderton School to set up a young chamber.

It is one of only two schools in the North-West to have the body which aims to give pupils a greater say in enterprise activities in school and forge links with local businesses.

And just like the adult version, pupils hold their own fortnightly breakfast meetings with companies ranging from Oldham Athletic to banks and florists.

Delegates at this week’s meeting included Ian Kendall, chief executive of Oldham Community Leisure which runs the borough’s sports centres; Brian Hurst, appeals manager at Dr Kershaw’s Hospice; and Carol Hopkins, local manager for Oldham at Greater Manchester Chamber.

There were also representatives from NHS Manchester, Office Depot, The Manufacturing Institute, The Enterprise Factory and corporate law firm Addleshaw Goddard.

Chamber members quizzed them on topics such as the current economic crisis, what skills they look for in employees, the attitude needed to succeed in business and their links with schools.

The meeting also looked at ways they can work with the school — such as running a competition to develop a business plan for the new swimming pool and sports centre which opens in Chadderton this year.

The chamber has 15 members from all years and its slogan is “developing minds for developing businesses”.

Chairman Sam Hall (16) said: “It was set up to give pupils a greater say about enterprise activities in school. It is about giving students what they want and giving them the power to use their skills.

“The breakfast meetings give us an insight into business and how they work. It is just interesting to see how the enterprise skills we learn in school are used every day in the business world and how crucial they are to the success of businesses.”

North Chadderton is specialist business and enterprise college and already runs the annual Fast and Furious competition which is inspired by the hit TV show “Dragons’ Den”. This involves pupils from around the borough pitching their business ideas to a panel of experts.

Bev Yarwood, general manager for children’s community services at NHS Manchester, attended the latest breakfast meeting. She is also a parent governor and said: “The young chamber is really entrepreneurial, and that’s not a cliche.

“It gives a really positive message, stops the isolation of ‘I am in school today and I am in the business world tomorrow’. That is a massive chasm and it helps the transition from student to being part of a workforce.”