Case Study

"The SEP is inspiring for young people. They really want to be involved in work of this kind."

Dr Anthony Seldon, Master of Wellington College

HOPEHIV visited Wellington College a top independent school in Berkshire, to discuss the Social Entrepreneurs Project (SEP) with its Master (headmaster), who also happens to be author, political commentator and founder of the Institute of Contemporary History, Dr Anthony Seldon. Wellington College receives scores of similar requests each month, yet as Dr Seldon outlines, the SEP stood out as a project offering something unique and exciting:

"Two things immediately leapt off the page at me. Firstly, the idea of young people being entrepreneurs themselves, using their imaginations, their intuitions, their creativity to make a difference rather than just carrying out the formula of somebody else. The second thing that is so attractive about the SEP, is its sense of social mission"

As a result, in the summer of 2006 Wellington College undertook its first Social Entrepreneurs Project with a group of Year 9 pupils. After canvassing the school noticeboard for volunteers, the teacher overseeing the SEP, Brynn Bayman, was taken aback by the pupils' enthusiasm for the project:

"The response was so overwhelming. In the end, I had to restrict the number of participants to twenty-two pupils"

In less than four weeks, the twenty-two new social entrepreneurs managed to raise almost £1500, the result of a variety of business projects which included a car valet service, a gardening enterprise and a tuck shop franchise! This was indeed impressive, epitomising the commitment and talent that the pupils poured into the project. Even better, as the project unfolded Dr Seldon noticed that the SEP was delivering much more than donations; it was creating an environment within which pupils were able to release a vast array of untapped potential. As he points out:

"Many of the pupils discovered hidden talents and abilities that aren't recognised within the traditional framework of education. This leads to a very real sense of achievement and an increase in confidence for most of the participants."

And when asked to give an evaluation at the end of the project, Dr Seldon concluded:

"At Wellington, we found the SEP to be a win-win proposition. The children are having fun, they are being entrepreneurial and they are doing something really worthwhile for some of the least advantaged people on our planet"

Consequently, Wellington College will be running the SEP as part of their 'Activities Programme' in each trimester of the 2006-7 school year.

The SEP is a success at Wellington College. Yet the best thing about the SEP is that it has the flexibility to be delivered at any school. Whether the pupils are aged 11 or 18, the project has proven to be a real success, helping to develop the independent thought, creativity and leadership skills of all of its participants. In addition to all of this, it is simply a great deal of FUN!

GET INVOLVED today and watch how your pupils expand their academic and social horizons, as well as creating hope and opportunities for a generation of African children who really do need it most.