Enterprising Northumberland, which seeks to encourage new businesses and boost confidence, has organised a number of activities to tie-in with the UK's Enterprise Week.

Already the Castle Morpeth and Wansbeck Volunteer Centre has held a young people's session to raise awareness of volunteering opportunities, while Northumberland County Council has co-ordinated a 'good ideas' week to get school pupils thinking creatively about problem solving.

And today, community workers will be hot-footing it to Longhirst Hall for a Speed Networking event.

The scheme will allow social enterprise groups to spend three minutes each with a number of leading business people to ask about ideas for development.

They will also have the opportunity to find a mentor to work with in the longer term.

Pupils at St Benet Biscop RC High School in Bedlington seem to have already taken the message to heart and have designed images for ceramic mugs and magnets, which will be made by Dinamic Ceramics to sell for the school's social enterprise company.

For details about the activities log onto www.nsp.org.uk