Our Trip To Downing Street

Thursday 12th May was a day of great excitement for The HERO Project, our long awaited trip to Downing Street to meet the Prime Minister and gain formal recognition for the part we play in the Big Society.  For the last 4 years Unity College has been the home of the HERO Project, and Barbara Lund, Head teacher nominated the project to the Government.

We provide enterprise education for young people, mainly in Blackpool but in the last year wider than that – anywhere in the country that wants our help! Our aim is to inspire young people about their futures, raise their aspirations and help them become business savvy.  We help teachers to give great advice, develop financial capability and hopefully support young people to be effective contributors to our economy.

We were nominated for a Big Society Award just before Christmas and received a call from the Cabinet Office in January let us know that we had won.  We fit the bill because we started life as a publicly funded project – to stimulate an enterprise cultures in young people across Blackpool as part of the wider town regeneration programme.  Over the last 4 years we have developed the trust of the schools, colleges and businesses that we work with to such an extent that we are now financially sustainable – able to stand on our own 2 feet without the need for further public funding streams.  In the words of the Government, we are “Opening up public services – public sector organisations and individuals demonstrating innovative ways of delivering public services and charities, social enterprises and private companies showing new ways of delivering public services”.

We are now a developing Community Interest Company, based in a Blackpool school and we see the Big Society and Social Enterprise as a way of delivering all our school services in the future, providing a cost effective and businesslike approach to education. 

On the day, we  (Nicola Hall and Alison Sadler, along with Barbara) spent the afternoon in the company of the other 15 Big Society Award winners at a networking and learning event hosted by the Big Society Network and the Cabinet Office at Somerset House....Wow, what a truly passionate bunch of people we spent the afternoon with, getting to know about each other’s work, investigating different aspects of the Big Society and engaging in Q&A sessions with Nick Hurd, Minister for the Civil Society and Ed Davey, Minister for Social Enterprise.  These were a learning journey for all involved – I am sure for the Ministers too. Nick Hurd tweeted straight after leaving the event to say “the most fun I have had as a minister” – I truly think they learnt a lot about the barriers to the Big Society as well as the “can-do” attitude of everyone in the room.

In the evening it was off to Downing Street, each and every one of us, excited and if I am honest probably all a little awestruck at the amazing privilege we were sharing.  We enjoyed a reception which allowed each project to speak to David Cameron and share insights to our work and listened to the PM speak passionately about the Big Society on the anniversary of his first year in Downing Street.

We had an absolutely fabulous afternoon and were proud to represent Unity College and all Blackpool students for the day.