Finalists announced for this year’s Northamptonshire County Schools Challenge

Students from 21 secondary schools visited Wootton Hall this week to compete in the semi-finals of this year’s Northamptonshire County Schools Challenge (NCSC).

A panel of judges listened to presentations by each of the school’s teams in which pupils explained more about the social enterprise projects they had developed to educate others about this year’s theme of knife crime.

Each year the NCSC picks a different theme and asks students to come up with social enterprise ideas which will help raise awareness among their peers of that particular issue.

Judges were extremely impressed by the innovation and variety in the ideas they saw presented by the teams of young people.

They finally selected eight teams who will now go through to the competition’s Grand Final, which will be held on July 8 at The Castle Theatre in Wellingborough.

The finalists have been announced in the video message below by Chief Superintendent Chris Hillery, who was one of the judges faced with the difficult choice of selecting this year’s finalists.

Chief Supt Hillery said: “I was delighted to once again be part of the judging panel chosen to hear presentations by so many teams of young people from schools across the county.

“Their enthusiasm and keen interest in this year’s subject of knife crime was very obvious when listening to the ideas they came up with to help raise awareness and educate others about the issue.

“Knife crime is such an important subject for young people today, and for those of us working in the police, so the County Schools Challenge has provided a valuable tool in using the innovation and voices of young people to help get those vital messages across in different ways about the dangers posed by bladed weapons and the massive, life changing consequences their misuse can have.

“I look forward to seeing which ideas finally win through when the Grand Final is held next month.”Students visiting Wootton Hall Police and Fire Headquarters this week also took part in ‘world of work’ activities, including solving a staged crime scene, meeting police dogs and taking part in road safety activities such as using speed and reaction tests.”

At the final, the chosen eight teams will again have to present their ideas to a different ‘Dragons’ Den’ style panel of judges in order to win the right support and £2,000 to put towards helping turn their idea into a reality.

Free tickets for this year’s County Schools Challenge Grand Final can be ordered at: https://bit.ly/2KxzAFu