School students share their entrepreneurial flair for charity

Bicester students’ impressive business acumen has been recognised at the Chairman’s charity dinner following some fantastic fundraising efforts.

Published: Wednesday, 11th December 2024

Chairman Okeke

Aylin and Mae, year nine students at The Cooper School, have been showing their savvy sales skills as part of the £50 challenge for Oxfordshire Mind.

The challenge sees participants given £50 and tasked with seeing how much they can turn it into, with all proceeds being donated to charity.

The Chairman’s charity dinner on 16 November marked the challenge's halfway point, and Aylin and Mae were invited to share their experiences so far.

Councillor Dr Chukwudi Okeke, Chairman of Cherwell District Council, said: “Oxfordshire Mind is my charity of the year, and I was delighted to invite Aylin and Mae to speak about their wonderful fundraising efforts at my dinner.

“I am always thrilled to hear from our younger residents and learn about the amazing work they are carrying out within the community.

“I was incredibly impressed by not only the professional way in which Aylin and Mae spoke about their fundraising but by the amount of work they have been putting into promoting the message of self-care and mental wellbeing to young adults.”

So far, Aylin and Mae have raised £399 for Oxfordshire Mind through a range of school events, from a tombola to a cake and craft sale. They have other initiatives in the pipeline.

Aylin and Mae both spoke of their desire to fundraise for a charity that ‘never gives up on its cause and tries its hardest to strive towards furthering better mental health for the youth of today.’

In a presentation at the dinner, they said: “Growing up as a teenager can be hard, and the experience can vary from person to person. But just knowing that charities like Mind exist, truly makes [us] happy. Knowing those who need the support can get it.”

Schools in the district can find further information about participating in the challenge by contacting Nicola Ikincisoy at Nicola.ikincisoy@cherwell-dc.gov.uk or 01295 221500