MY Future is Durham, a partnership between Durham County Council and Newsquest, has been showcasing the exciting opportunities which are being created for young people across the county as a result of private sector investment.

It is easy to admire and become enthused by Durham’s past achievements, such as the World Heritage site in Durham City and the county’s proud industrial heritage, as well as its stunning natural beauty and vibrant cultural scene.

But one of the biggest challenges facing the county is to ensure that the people who call Durham their home can also look forward to a bright future.

And at the heart of that challenge is ensuring that the county’s children and young people see Durham as a place where they can realise their dreams. To that aim, the My Future is Durham campaign has worked with local primary school children. This led to pupils at Ox Close Primary School, in Spennymoor, starring in a video produced at the start of this year where they spoke about what they wanted to be when they grew up. Their choices ranged from scientists and bankers to cutting edge games designers and inventors.

The young students also talked to Edward Twiddy, chief operations and innovation officer at Atom Bank, Austen Atkinson, chief executive at Lexicon Science and Revirral’s chief scientific officer, Stuart Cockerill, about work at the cutting edge of science and new technology banking.

Mr Twiddy said: “Durham is full of vibrant people, people with ambition and who are well connected. There is a vibe in Durham. We chose to be based here because of those things, and because it is somewhere we thought we could grow.”

That message was echoed by Lexicon’s Mr Atkinson. He said: “Durham is a great place to be doing science. I was born in Durham, educated here and wanted to come back. Durham is a great place to be a scientist.”

Durham County Council chief executive Terry Collins said: “My Future is Durham is a really exciting campaign which puts some of the amazing opportunities that exist here right now in the spotlight and which aims to inspire the next generation to reach for the skies…literally in some cases. Satellite and space technologies are amongst a myriad of cutting edge industries developing products that are changing lives all over the world and putting Durham firmly on the global map as a place for innovators. The pupils from Ox Close are proving terrific and persuasive ambassadors in helping share these messages.”

With more than £3.8bn in private sector investment underway across the county there has never been a better time to plan a future in Durham. By providing venues like NETPark and Aykley Heads private sector investment is being unlocked, bringing cutting edge companies and high quality jobs and putting the county firmly on the map nationally and internationally. The vision is to provide a better, brighter and more vibrant future for the county’s youngsters.

Cllr Simon Henig, leader of Durham County Council, said: “In Durham we are focussed on taking our young people through a journey from school to workplace that gives them the best possible start in life. We want those born here to stay and enrich our ambitious plans, those who left to start their careers elsewhere to see this as the place to raise their families and as a business destination where they can reach their full potential - where we will do everything we can to deliver on their aspirations. Because in Durham – anything is possible.”

Ryan Fenwick, advertising director at Newsquest North East, publisher of The Northern Echo, the Advertiser series and the Durham Times, said: “We have enjoyed a long-standing partnership with Durham County Council and welcomed the opportunity to work with them on this. The primary school pupils involved in the videos will ultimately be the individuals who benefit from the private sector investment and it has been a good way to get the message across that anything is possible.”

  • For more details visit //www.durham.gov.uk/future.