London Schools to Showcase Business Acumen and Community Spirit in Mayor's Fund for London and Be Open City Pitch Programme

News provided by

BE OPEN Foundation

10 May, 2018, 09:00 GMT

LONDON, May 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Children from six London schools are set to test their skills in a 'Dragon's Den' style event organised by the Mayor's Fund for London and Be Open, the think-tank founded by international entrepreneur and philanthropist Elena Baturina.

The City Pitch Programme encourages and helps young Londoners learn new skills, while making a real difference in their communities. Students from each school devised community initiatives with the final six chosen to pitch their ideas to a panel of experts - including Elena Baturina, and CEO of Mayor's Fund Matthew Patten - at City Hall on June 14 for the chance to secure up to £1,500 funding to launch and help run their projects.

The six schools and their projects are:

  • Stop Smoking - Argyle Primary School, Camden - a campaign to encourage teenagers to stop smoking.
  • Rad Road Rangers - Elmhurst Primary School, Forest Gate - a road safety awareness campaign.
  • The Green Team - Ferry Lane Primary School, Tottenham Hale - a campaign to help prevent pollution and protect local wildlife.
  • Tooting Community Time - Sellincourt Primary, Tooting - staging 'phenomenal' family events utilising local areas.
  • We Are Healthy - Rhyl Primary School, Belsize Park - promotion of mental and physical health in their school community with meditation and yoga sessions for young people.
  • Families in Need - New North Academy, Islington - providing essential items for families living in poverty.

Says Be Open's founder Elena Baturina: "When I sat on the judging panel of the first City Pitch Day I was amazed not only by the intelligent thoughts that the children put into devising their projects, but also at how well they were able to present their ideas. These children make up the next generation, so it's essential that we help them to understand how they can work together to improve their own lives, and of those in their communities. City Pitch helps them take creative community project ideas and turn them into real social enterprises, a major step in creating the leaders of tomorrow ."

This is the second City Pitch Day of the 2017/2018 academic year. The programme offers young people the chance to develop leadership, teamwork, planning and presentational skills, with professional mentors on hand during every stage to help them prepare and hone their proposals and pitches.