Norwich School’s Young Chamber has built on our links with the Norfolk Chambers of Commerce to foster business acumen and enterprise amongst the school community. Each year, new pupil-run companies are established that trade with community bank accounts. Each company develops a brand, products and an identity, encouraging pupils to promote real world initiatives in an enjoyable and edifying team-based format. Each group appoints directors to lead their company, many of whom will be Lower Sixth pupils studying A Level Business Enterprise.
The 2022 season kicked off in spectacular style on 28 September 2022 in the historic surrounds of the Bishop’s Palace’s Old Music Room. We could not have been in better hands at this inaugural session for the new academic year, as we were capably led by mother and son team Rachel and Kerwin Blackburn. The packed audience comprised Norwich School entrepreneurs from the 4th, 5th and 6th form, including those embarking on setting up companies under the Young Chamber umbrella.
The inimitable Rachel Blackburn MBA is Director of US2U Business Consulting, a local company she founded nearly 17 years ago. She has kindly committed funds to help ensure the sustainability of Young Chamber’s forays into the business world this year. She brought along a wealth of experience and business savvy to her comprehensive ‘top tips’ talk. With characteristic enthusiasm and clear exposition, she covered business basics such as goal setting, brand vision, USPs, competitor analysis, business plans and the need for relentless customer focus, not forgetting the perennial power of the Post-IT note!
The baton was then handed to Kerwin Blackburn ON who, in the decade since leaving Norwich School, has set up a successful business By Kerwin selling his own meticulously crafted acrylic action Pop Art paintings in the Jackson Pollock style. Some may remember that in February he showcased these beautiful works in our Crypt Gallery. With honesty, realism and humour, he shared his own business journey, including how he pivoted during the Covid lockdown to move successfully into internet sales. Pearls of business wisdom cascaded like confetti down onto our appreciative young audience: keeping ideas simple, ensuring you have a word-perfect elevator pitch, the need for persistency, learning from setbacks, really understanding your markets and tending your valuable customers with the utmost care were all invaluable and practical take-home messages.
We offer a huge vote of thanks to both speakers for a really engaging evening.
The intent of such inspirational talks is to show how the Business Enterprise course at Norwich School goes beyond the confines of the A Level specification to provide opportunities to demonstrate drive, purpose, organisation and creativity. Many of our former pupils have used this as leverage to start their careers as undergraduates, entrepreneurs, finance apprentices and in other avenues of management work. We encourage as many pupils as possible to take full advantage of these opportunities.
Thursday 13th October sees some of those attendees participate in a half-day session with the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce at their B2B Exhibition at the Norfolk Showground. Details to follow!