So, The Apprentice has once more taken hold of my life every Wednesday night. Just as in previous years, I am captivated by the apparent idiocy of the decisions made by the competitors, the backbiting and the lack of emotional intelligence they display. Then I watch Dara Ó Briain interview the ‘fired’ candidate immediately after…
This blog entry was written to support the Ambition AXA Awards 2011… I’m often asked what makes a successful entrepreneur. I recently posed that question to some of Young Enterprise’s most successful alumnae – people who have taken part in our programmes at school and then gone on to start their own companies or become successful business…
Yesterday’s royal wedding brought back some memories, though not, perhaps, as many as it should have done. When we were both 17, my schoolfriend Richard Morris and I camped overnight on the Mall, in order to watch Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer make their wedding journey. I remember the fireworks party in Hyde Park and the…
Ten years ago, a group of City business leaders, convened by Sir Win Bischoff of Citigroup, created Career Academies in the UK, taking their inspiration from a well-established programme in the United States. The idea was that young people from non traditional backgrounds should get a taste of big business during their six form studies. …
For the second time in a week, the UK Scouts have made the news. Last week, they announced the publication of new (and excellent, in my opinion) sexual health materials. Today, they have let the world know that, for the first time in the Movement’s history, more girls have joined in the last year than…
A few months ago, a friend of mine tried to volunteer to become a Leader in his local Scout Group. His son was a Beaver Scout in the Colony and his enthusiasm for Scouting had quickly rubbed off on his dad. However, the Group didn’t want him. My friend wanted to work with the Scout…
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has announced today that it will support every school in developing and running its own business through the Enterprise Champions Programme. I welcome the announcement which supports my belief (and that of Young Enterprise) that young people of all ages deserve the opportunity to develop the enterprise and…
The last nine months have been extraordinarily busy for Young Enterprise. Last summer, we recognised a need to bring the various regional charities in England and Wales closer together. Last night, at midnight, a merger took place, meaning that there is now one Young Enterprise for England and Wales, rather than a collection of autonomous…
The opening ceremony had been billed as starting at 9:00am. Everyone had got up really early, had packed their tents and put all their luggage on army lorries, ready to transport them to their various expedition centres. The Europeans, at least, were seated in the main arena at 8:30am as requested. I began to realise…
I spent the morning wandering around Nairobi, visited the bank, found a Java Coffee house for an excellent breakfast and chatted to Ross and his team. Very relaxed. In the afternoon we moved on to Rowallen Camp Site, the main camping ground for the Moot. Everything looked as though it was running smoothly by the…
