Year 12 students from across Bedford Borough have showcased a wave of creative, community-focused ideas at an Apprentice meets Dragons’ Den style event at Bedford School, with Biddenham School’s PCOS Project chosen as the overall winner.
Around 100 sixth formers from nine schools and colleges took part in the Ready2Lead? showcase, pitching projects designed to improve young people’s lives in Bedford Borough.
Biddenham’s winning PCOS Project aims to raise awareness and understanding of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome among young people, tackling stigma and encouraging better health education so pupils can recognise symptoms and seek help sooner.
Leadership in action
The event is part of Ready2Lead?, an annual leadership programme run by Bedford School with The Harpur Trust.
Over two months, students worked in mixed teams to develop projects inspired by the Children, Young People and their Families Plan for Bedford Borough 2022 to 2027, written by local young people and centred on six key themes.
Teams developed and tested their ideas, learning skills in public speaking, project management, marketing and budgeting before setting up displays and pitching to a panel of senior council and health leaders at Bedford School.
Judges included Bedford Borough Council chief executive Laura Church, service director for education, SEND and school infrastructure Chris Morris, director of public health Vicky Head and deputy director Ian Brown.
The students also received feedback from special guests, HM Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire Susan Lousada, the High Sheriff of Bedfordshire Camilla King, and the elected Mayor of Bedford Borough Tom Wootton.
Two schools were recognised as Highly Commended for their projects:
St Thomas More’s Happy Minds Project, offering workshops in arts and crafts, cooking and sport to support the well-being of SEND and Pupil Premium pupils in the upper years of primary school.
Wixams Academy’s Ready2Cook, giving young people the skills and confidence to prepare healthy and affordable meals.
“Extremely proud”
Simon Everitt of Bedford School, founder of Ready2Lead?, praised the ambition of this year’s cohort.
He said: “We were blown away by the impressive ideas these young people developed to make a real difference in their communities.
Ready2Lead? is all about nurturing future leaders, and the students have demonstrated creativity, confidence and commitment. Their projects were imaginative, well-researched and presented with pride.
“Since launching six years ago, Ready2Lead? has engaged all the borough’s sixth form providers, bringing together young people from diverse backgrounds. Our vision is to empower every young person to make a unique and positive impact on their world.”
Laura Church told students their work had set a high bar.
“You have been absolutely inspiring. The quality of your research and presentations at your stalls were exceptional, and the ideas you have developed in such a short time are fantastic.
“You make us extremely proud of our borough. We look forward to working with some of you to develop these projects further and ensure young people’s voices continue to shape our future plans,” she said.
Big ideas
Fifteen projects were presented on the day, covering everything from mental health and healthy eating to safer streets and a greener town. They included:
- Bedford Girls’ School’s Urban Angels is a safer travel initiative for girls in Bedford town centre, using mapped routes and safety checkpoints accessed via a website.
- Bedford Girls’ School’s Bedford Bloom Project, transforming overlooked, abandoned and unused spaces into small pockets of nature to make the town greener and more vibrant.
- Bedford Modern School’s Converting2Compost, turning food waste from local schools into compost to be used around Bedford.
- Bedford Modern School’s Revive the Ouse is a community project to help restore the River Ouse and its surrounding areas.
- Bedford Modern School’s Fitness Tracker is an app idea that promotes physical health while supporting local businesses in Bedford.
- Biddenham International School’s Red Flag Awareness, educating 14 to 19 year olds on the signs of domestic abuse and how to spot them in their own and others’ relationships.
- Bedford School’s Budget Bites, helping lower-income households and children by improving access to cheap, nutritious and enjoyable food.
- Bedford School’s Disco Politics is an educational tool that explains how the political system works and offers unbiased overviews of political parties.
- Bedford Sixth Form’s Mind and Motion supports clubs and active events to help teenagers in Bedford stay mentally and physically well.
- Kimberley College’s Checkpoint, a local map of help centres, services and practical support for young people’s mental health, alongside mentoring and a digital space to ask for help.
- Mark Rutherford School’s Educational Supply Bank offers a non-judgmental place for students facing financial difficulties to access school supplies.
- Mark Rutherford School’s Bedford Bonds Map is a digital platform that helps people find and share safe, welcoming, and inclusive spaces in their communities across Bedfordshire.
Winning and commended teams have been invited to work with the council and health partners to explore how their projects could be developed further.
