Working life insight for schoolchildren (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Working life insight for schoolchildren

1:00pm Wednesday 14th December 2011 in Education By Emily Roberts

YOUNG people found out more about social housing when they took part in National Takeover Day.

The event involved youngsters spending the day working alongside adults to get involved in real-life decision-making in a business environment.

Sovereign Kingfisher organised a busy day for 15 secondary school pupils from Cranbourne Business and Enterprise College, Fort Hill Community School, Testbourne Community School, Costello Technology College and The Hurst Community College.

The 11 to 14-year-olds heard from borough councillor Gerry Traynor before they had the chance to experience different issues faced by Sovereign Kingfisher staff every day.

They inspected empty properties, measured up the Community House in South Ham for furnishings, designed a garden border for a sheltered housing scheme and took part in a local estate walkabout, inspecting a home recently adapted to meet the needs of a disabled resident.

Following a pizza lunch, they all boarded a minibus to John Eddie Court, in South Ham – Sovereign’s largest sheltered housing scheme – where they talked to residents about their experiences during the war, and joined in with songs from the 1940s performed by Trisha Lewis.

The day ended with the participants planting bulbs and shrubs in a remembrance garden, designed earlier in the day by two of the pupils.

Paula Dawson, area housing manager at Sovereign, said: “The children who took part were extremely enthusiastic and keen to learn about our business and services we provide.”

Freddie Carr, of Cranbourne Business and Enterprise College, said those pupils who had taken part from the school, in Wessex Close, found the day “inspirational”. He added: “They really benefited from working with members of the Sovereign team.”