Call for Future support

The 'Our Future Derby' project organisers are calling on members of the Derbyshire business community to get involved.

The pioneering initiative, which has been launched in partnership with Bondholder Derby City Council and made possible with funding from the Department for Education’s Opportunity Area Programme – chaired in Derby by Professor Kathryn Mitchell, Vice-Chancellor of Bondholder the University of Derby – connects primary school children and teachers with local businesses, with the aim of helping reduce the gap between education and the world of work.

Although the scheme has been a huge success so far, its delivery partners, including Bondholder East Midlands Chamber, are urging more businesses to get involved in 2020.

The main objectives of Our Future Derby is to inspire children, broaden horizons, raise aspirations, and thereby open a world of greater future possibilities to the children, their families and their teachers.

Activities are being delivered to children in 32 primary schools across Derby with more than 226 business volunteers from 142 organisations so far supporting the initiative.

Chris Hobson, the Chamber’s Director of Policy, said: “Our Future Derby is an innovative programme which aims to inspire children and help them establish the link between their education and the world of work from an early age.

“By bringing children, parents and guardians, schools, teachers and employers together to plant the seeds of aspiration and create a positive view of future career opportunities, we hope to get children engaged, inspired and excited by the opportunities on offer to them.

“The initiative has been a huge success to date and we hope that even more businesses will take up the mantle in 2020 to take their message into local schools and start to build positive relationships with their future workforce.”

Businesses or individuals wanting to sign up to become a Volunteer, can do so by clicking here.

For more information about Our Future Derby, click here to visit their website.