Supporting Chichester College

After many years of living across the UK and abroad in the Emirates, I have been settled in West Sussex for the last 15 years. My two daughters, now in their twenties, grew up here and attended schools in the local area and since they were little I have always tried my very best to support the community and the local education system so that children thrive. 

This year, I have supported the students with additional learning needs at Chichester College by inviting them to our offices to learn about how a business runs as part of their enterprise module. The students visited Donna Ockenden Limited to learn about the practical side of running a business including the day-to-day responsibilities that our team do to make sure that our work runs smoothly. We then took a coffee, tea and biscuit break at Purchases Restaurant and Bar to learn about how different businesses run depending on their needs. After answering lots of questions about my career, we finished our tour at Strutt & Parker Estate Agents where the students learned the art of selling a house.

I supported the organisation of a trip to the House of Commons which the students thoroughly enjoyed. This gave them the opportunity to learn about how Parliament works, how their voice and opinion matters and how it all feeds into the bigger picture of how our country is governed. The students were guided through the Houses of Parliament and taught about its rich history including Guy Fawkes, and the suffragette movement. Jess Brown-Fuller MP for Chichester then took the time to visit the students and talk to them about Parliament. 

It is so important that we equip all young people with this knowledge, and these experiences in the hope that it inspires them to be the best they can and to actively contribute to the democracy of our country.