Northern Insight talks to CHRIS BEEVERS Chairman, The PIE Project
Why was the charity founded?
The Primary Inspiration through Enterprise charity was established in 2013 when four primary schools in Walker, Newcastle came together to set up and run a shop. It was founded to support primary age children in making the connection between education and the world of work. Which area do you cover? We currently work with primary schools to raise the aspirations of the children through a project which incorporates a range of activities including engineering, art and coding and culminates in the participants setting up their own business. The teachers are able to provide exciting new challenges that inspire children to learn, and the pupils themselves get a taste of how to make money whilst learning new things in a fun way. What type of fundraising events do you normally have? We’ve been looking at ways to diversify our fundraising and are currently working on a new strategy. But over the last 12 months, we’ve used events such as One Million Steps and the David Goggins Challenge to drive awareness and help to raise funds. We’ve also been very kindly supported with donations by the likes of Durham Rotary Club and we’re working on strengthening our position for corporate fundraising in the region as we move forwards. How have you adapted to working through the coronavirus pandemic? It’s been tough for us as a charity to deliver our projects throughout the pandemic because they are typically done in person, by volunteers, in the schools themselves. Ultimately, keeping pupils and teachers safe has been the main priority and so we’ve had to postpone a couple of cycles of the project.
However, it has focused the board on moving to digital delivery in the future which will allow us to reach a wider audience. As a board, we’ve taken advantage of video meetings but are very much looking forward to getting back in a room together! What have been your proudest moments so far? Every time we complete a project cycle and are able to watch the schoolchildren that were involved stand up and present is an incredibly proud moment. Becoming the first UK initiative that delivers accredited enterprise vocational qualifications is also a high point. And the fact that Princess Eugenie not only visited the shop that was set up as part of the original project in 2013, but also bought a souvenir plate which she took back as a present for her grandmother – HM Queen Elizabeth II!! Who are your main trustees and patrons? The charity was set up by Ammar Mirza CBE and our patron is Sir John Hall. Over the last couple of years, we’ve brought in some additional trustees and I took over as Chair earlier in 2021 which I’m delighted about. We have a very diverse representation which allows us to get a variety of opinions and ultimately make what we hope are better decisions. What are you currently working on? One of the key areas of focus recently has been around the digitisation of delivery which is progressing well. We’re hoping to be able to get back to running enterprise challenges in 2021.
Alongside this we are keen to engage with new schools who want to take part. And we’re always looking for business people and entrepreneurs who would be interested in volunteering, which invariably proves to be an incredibly rewarding experience and gives them the opportunity to shape education and influence the talent of the future. What does the future hold? A return to working with the children who benefit so much from the programme is very much top of all of our minds. And longer term, broadening our offering is a key ambition for the charity, both in terms of reaching more schools within and without the North East as well as providing support for age groups beyond just Key Stage 2. How do you get involved? I was keen to get involved after seeing the work that PIE was doing and was asked to join the board as a trustee at the start of 2019 after knowing Ammar for a couple of years. Since then I’ve loved being part of the charity and was very proud to be confirmed as Chairman earlier this year.
My role now is about leading the board and making sure that we are moving in the right direction to have the biggest impact that we can.
