‘Dragons’ pay up for five great ideas
9:17am Monday 6th February 2012 in Your Town
YOUNG people braved a Dragons’ Den-style grilling as part of their bid to win funding for projects to improve their communities.
A community fun day, helping the elderly and encouraging youngsters to express their feelings through music are just some of the projects the inspiring youngsters came up with.
Groups of young people presented ideas for five projects as part of the Bolton Neighbourhood Challenge.
And they were all awarded the top £1,000 prize for their schemes, which will run in Great Lever, Halliwell and the Rumworth ward. They pitched their ideas to a judging panel which included Tracy Fenton, who set up Artfantastic Healing Arts, to help children express their feelings; Ian Laithwaite from Bolton Wanderers Community Trust; and 21-year-old Darryl Morris, who is a radio presenter for BBC Manchester Ms Fenton said: “It has been amazing to see these young people who have such entrepreneurial thought patterns.”
Michael Steenson, aged 19, from Farnworth, wants to set up a recording studio for disadvantaged young people.
He said: “I want to get people to use music as a positive distraction.“ Mithun Kerai, aged 16, and Saeed Atcha, aged 15, who are pupils at Ladybridge High School, want to create a community allotment at the school.
Mithun said: “We have already got the land and this will help us to buy seeds and equipment.”
Tom Defreitas, aged 19, from Great Lever, is organising a fun day to take place in Bobby Heywood Park on the weekend of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
He said: “Now I have got this money it can happen.”
Ashley Heyes, aged 20, has developed an intitiative called Off The Chest, to help people express their feelings with rapping.
He said: “This money is great as it means I can buy equipment.”
David Hamilton, aged 20, from Bolton, wants to help elderly people by doing odd jobs, such as gardening, clearing snow from paths and cleaning windows.
He said: “I wanted to do this project to help the elderly because my nan brought me up.”
The Bolton Neighbourhood Challenge was run through Bolton Interfaith Council and took place at the YMCA in Deansgate on Saturday
