Inspiring Social Entrepreneurs: Dundee’s Primary Pupils Shine at “Reach for the Stars” Dragons’ Den Event

On 2nd October 2024, Dundee’s young innovators took centre stage at the V&A Dundee, presenting their social enterprise ideas at the “Reach for the Stars” Dragons’ Den competition. This exciting event brought together five primary schools from across the city, each pitching to an expert panel of ‘dragons’ from a variety of industries.

The panel included Michael Ward, Commercial Manager at Trade-Mart Dundee Stars; Natalie Marr, Employer Liaison Officer at DYW Tay Cities; Jolene Guthrie, representing V&A Dundee; and Joan Alexander, Education Manager at Social Enterprise Academy. Their task was to evaluate innovative concepts designed to benefit the supporters of the Dundee Stars Ice Hockey team.

The young participants showcased a range of creative ideas, inspired by a workshop led by a social entrepreneur. With support from the V&A Dundee, the students explored real-world challenges and devised their own social enterprises. This empowering experience encouraged them to think about the causes they care about, providing them with a platform to become real social change makers.

The overall winners of the day were Rosebank Primary School, whose innovative pitch won over the judges. Their idea – A loyalty card scheme rewarding fans with wristbands with inspirational quotes, gloves and hats -aims to both engage Dundee Stars fans and raise awareness for mental health whilst encouraging increased attendance at the ice hockey games. The Dundee Stars team will now work with Rosebank to bring their idea to life.

Fostering Skills for the Future

Throughout the competition, pupils from the participating schools: Glebelands, St Peter & Paul’s, Rowantree, Tayview, and Rosebank, developed vital skills in public speaking teamwork and enterprise development.

DYW Tay Cities, sponsor and partner in this initiative, is committed to supporting young people in gaining the skills and experience necessary to succeed in the world of work. Lisa Laidlaw, Regional Lead at DYW Tay Cities, expressed her pride in the event, saying:

“Across Tayside there is a pressing need to make sure young people have the right skills and experience to enter fulfilling careers and grow our local economy.

Here at Developing the Young Workforce Tay Cities we facilitate meaningful partnerships between business and education to provide work-based learning opportunities for young people and better prepare them for their future career.

“Reach for the Stars Dragons Den” is an excellent example of partnership working with the positive outcome of helping our local young people and economy.”

This event exemplified the power of collaboration, with partners such as Dundee Stars, V&A Dundee, the Social Enterprise Academy, Dundee City Council, and the Scottish Government coming together to inspire and support the next generation of social entrepreneurs. Gary Jamieson Schools Development Officer, V&A, Dundee said

“Working collaboratively with such enthusiastic and inspiring people across different organisations makes a huge difference to the learning experience the children receive. I was blown away with the quality of the pitches, it was clear they had researched and delivered the design brief.”

A Community of Support

Michael Ward, Commercial Manager for Trade-Mart Dundee Stars, was impressed with the ideas put forward:

“Dundee Stars are delighted to collaborate on this amazing event, hoping to spark creativity and entrepreneurship in our local young people. I was thrilled to see the varied ideas that our young people had. Their confidence delivering their pitches and the power points they produced were truly excellent and they should all be immensely proud of themselves.”

The collaborative nature of this event was emphasised by Audrey May, Executive Director of Children and Families Services at Dundee City Council:

“It’s great to see the collaboration between the V&A, DYW Tay Cities, Dundee Stars and the Social Enterprise Academy coming together with our Dundee schools to inspire our children and young people by giving them the opportunity to enter into the world of Social Enterprise and have the chance to be real social entrepreneurs. By showing our young people how they can contribute to the world, make it a better place, and help others along the way by using their creativity to question the status quo and exploit new opportunities, we will help them to develop the skills that will stand them in good stead for their future life chances and grow as effective contributors.”

Looking Ahead

Following their success in the Dragons’ Den competition, the schools involved will continue to develop their social enterprises and work towards a Social Enterprise Schools Award. These awards will be presented at a national ceremony in Edinburgh in June 2025.

DYW Tay Cities is proud to have been a part of this inspiring initiative, helping to provide real-world learning experiences that empower young people to become the leaders and changemakers of tomorrow.