Westgate Oxford’s ‘Made in Oxford’ challenge raised £500 for WaterAid and Aspire
Westgate Oxford has announced that the winners of its 2023 ‘Made in Oxford’ sustainability focussed enterprise challenge, Team ‘Greyfriar Girls’ from Greyfriars Catholic School, have raised £500 for WaterAid and Aspire.
On 22nd June, twenty-two students from Oxford Spires Academy and Greyfriars Catholic School were set the ‘Made in Oxford’ challenge by Westgate Oxford, Landsec and Ahead Partnership: to create their own designs, pitches, and social media campaign launches for a re-usable Chilly’s water bottle that reflects Westgate Oxford and the local community. The challenge was held in partnership with Ahead Partnership, which aims to help local young people develop their employability skills for the world of work and learn face-to-face from local employers.
Upon launching the challenge, the Westgate Oxford Centre Management Team held mentoring workshops on marketing, sales, and sustainability as well as a hands-on site tour of Westgate Oxford to provide them with encouragement for the project ahead. The students then returned to their schools, with five weeks to hone their ideas and develop their own plans.
On the 12th July, the students professionally presented and pitched their ideas to a panel of judges, competing for the winning place. Brendan Hattam, Centre Director at Westgate Oxford, was joined on the judging panel by Claire Figgures-Wilson, Portfolio Manager at Landsec, and Donna McNulty, Partner & Deputy Brand Manager at John Lewis and Partners. The entire pitching process provided the competitors with valuable experience of teamworking, creative business development and corporate environment practices.
Team ‘Greyfriar Girls’ from Greyfriars Catholic School won the competition with their design which represented the environmentally friendly and sustainable aspects of the city, as well as the famous Oxford v Cambridge boat race.
Their re-usable water bottle was produced and the Team ‘Greyfriar Girls’ had the opportunity to sell it to Westgate Oxford’s guests on 6th November, with all proceeds going to local charities. In total, the sale of the winning design made £500, with the proceeds being donated to WaterAid and Aspire.
Brendan Hattam, Centre Director at Westgate Oxford, commented: “‘We were amazed by the creativity and innovative thinking shown by the students from Oxford Spires Academy and Greyfriars Catholic School. All the entries were fantastic, but Team ‘Greyfriar Girls’ from Greyfriars Catholic School were the winners after much deliberation from the judging panel. We’re thrilled to have seen all their hard work pay off with the sale of their designs which raised funds for great causes.”
Georgina Johnson, Programme Manager at Ahead Partnership, said: “We’re delighted to have delivered the ‘Made in Oxford’ challenge. The feedback we’ve received from the students demonstrates the importance of giving young people the opportunity to learn directly from employers and we’re so grateful to the team at Westgate Oxford for committing their time, wisdom, and skills to support young people in their community with this interactive and creative challenge.
“It’s especially important that we give young people opportunities to visit and experience workplaces so that they can face the future with more confidence.”
ENDS
Images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1wid2u408zwbxtv/AAAOQLvCIc_HvLVk0UiPYb8ga?dl=0
Westgate Oxford
Westgate Oxford is a modern retail and leisure destination, attracting world-class retailers and leisure facilities to the historic city of Oxford.
With over 100 global brands and 20 restaurants, bars and cafes, Westgate Oxford offers a unique retail experience in the heart of Oxford.
Find out more at www.westgateoxford.co.uk
Landsec Group PLC
At Landsec, we strive to connect communities, realise potential and deliver sustainable places.
As one of the largest real estate companies in Europe, our portfolio of well-connected retail, leisure, workspace and residential hubs. From the iconic Piccadilly Lights in the West End and the regeneration of London’s Victoria, to the creation of retail destinations at Westgate Oxford and Trinity Leeds, we own and manage some of the most successful and memorable real estate in the UK.
We aim to lead our industry in critical long-term issues – from diversity and community employment, to carbon reduction and climate resilience. We deliver value for our shareholders, great experiences for our customers and positive change for our communities.
Find out more at landsec.com
Ahead Partnership
Since 2004 Ahead Partnership has collaborated with businesses of all sizes and sectors to deliver social value projects that overcome inequality, promote opportunity, and deliver positive change within society.
We develop and deliver interactive and engaging programmes that provide solutions to specific issues, working with business around ESG and social value. Current programmes support social mobility and diversity and inclusion whilst helping young people to make informed choices about their future careers.
Find out more at www.aheadpartnership.org.uk
