Date 29 September 2011

SA Law is delighted to announce we it is taking part in The Connect St Albans Dragons’ Apprentice Challenge 2012.

Between September 2011 and March 2012 our SA Law ‘Dragon’, Solicitor Chris Alexander, will be mentoring a group of eight pupils from St Albans Girls School – ‘Team Aspire’ – to hone their entrepreneurial skills, creativity and enthusiasm to develop business ideas to turn £100 into £1000 or more, with all proceeds donated to The Alex Curtis Trust.

Team Aspire will be competing against twenty five other teams from neighbouring schools in St Albans, Harpenden, Welwyn and Hatfield along with their Dragons from local companies to become the 2012 Dragons’ Apprentice by raising the highest amount of money for their designated charity.

Chris Alexander says, “It is a real privilege to work alongside and mentor the young business people of tomorrow. The whole of the SA Law team is at hand to provide support, advice and resources to ensure Team Aspire’s goals are reached. It is also fantastic opportunity to be able to offer support and donations to The Alex Curtis Trust – a charity that promotes asthma awareness and good management of asthma for young people.”

The community challenge run by Connect St Albans not only encourages schools and businesses to work together to support charities within the district of St Albans and Harpenden, it also inspires a new generation of students entering the business world to put their entrepreneurial skills to the test.

“We always knew we had a winning formula with this challenge and this year has proved it. Everyone wins; the young participating teams gain valuable experience from planning and budgeting to marketing and public speaking; the charities benefit from much needed income; and local businesses get a real chance to become closely involved with their local schools and communities,” said Penny Mortimer, Project Manager Connect St Albans Dragons’ Apprentice.

Wishing the very best of luck to all Dragons and Apprentices.

Stay tuned for regular Team Aspire updates.

Schools and colleges participating in the 2012 St Albans challenge include:

St Columba’s, Oaklands, St George’s, STAGS, Beaumont, Loreto College, Nicholas Breakspear, Roundwood Park and Sandringham. Plus Onslow St Audrey, Bishops Hatfield and Sir Frederick Osborn in Hatfield.

The teams are supported by Dragons from local businesses including:

SA Law, Archimedes, BAM, Barclay Meade, Debenhams Ottaway, Deloitte, Harpenden Building Society, Kids2work, Kingston Smith, Let Me Properties, My Mustard, One Life Wealth Planning, Photographic Synergy, Premier Foods, Procom Telemarketing, Rayner Essex, Red Door Recruitment, Reachout Plus, Research Works, Scott & Hewitt, St Albans City and District Council, Serena, The Princes Trust, Welwyn & Hatfield Council, Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Charities to benefit will include:

Abbeyfield, Act One, Alex Curtis Memorial Trust, Chrohn’s & Colitis UK, CVS St Albans, CVS Welwyn & Hatfield , Grove House, Harpenden Child Contact Centre, Centre 33, Harpenden Spotlight on Africa, Hertfordshire Chorus, Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust, Hertfordshire Society for the Blind, Kaleidoscope , Mediation Hertfordshire, Reachout Plus, Resolve, Home-Start St Albans, Radio Verulam, St Albans Bereavement Network, St Albans City Youth, St Albans Macular Group, Special Olympics, The Princes Trust, and Youth Talk.