School takes part in business challenge to tackle gun and knife crime (From Enfield Independent)

Edmonton school takes part in national business challenge to tackle gun and knife crime

7:50am Thursday 7th July 2011 in News By Suruchi Sharma

PUPILS from an Edmonton school took part in a national business competition this week to tackle gun and knife crime.

The event, held at Harrow School, in Harrow on the Hill, included 23 schools from across London for the regional final of the annual LionHeart Challenge and included Year 9 students from the Nightingale Academy, in Turin Road.

The LionHeart Challenge is a national enterprise programme, which encourages schoolchildren to create business ideas to invent new products with the aim of reaching the national final of the competition.

The schools at the event on Tuesday created ideas to combat gun and knife crime and later in the day presented their pitch to a panel of judges.

Pupil Mark Wainwright, 14, said: “We created an app for a phone where it alerts people when you’re in danger. It flashes and makes a loud siren noise.

“It was good to be here today to make something for this subject on tackling gun and knife crime.”

Teacher Avni Aliaj, enterprise co-ordinator, said: “It was a fantastic opportunity for the school to be involved.

“Since the school became an academy we have been very big on promoting employability as well as other skills promoted through this challenge including pitching an idea, public speaking and working as a team.

“This also couldn’t have been a better subject as this is the right age to think about personal safety and the effects of gun and knife crime.”

Claire McDonald, managing director of The Lionheart Challenge, said: “It’s been a fantastic opportunity for the pupils to think of ideas that would benefit them personally and improve their own safety. It couldn’t have been a better subject for children their age.

“It also gave them the opportunity to use business skills to further their ideas.”